Public listening session slated Tuesday night
By Heather Ruenz
Editor
School districts throughout the state continue to face structural deficits as a result of state-imposed revenue limits and the Whitewater Unified School District is no exception. In an effort to maintain its current services, the district has placed a $1.2 million referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot.
The referendum, if it passes, is not expected to increase the tax levy. There is $600,000 in referendum-approved debt retiring in 2015 in addition to the expiration of the $600,000 operational referendum, therefore the proposed $1.2 million can be absorbed by the district without affecting taxes.
WUSD is projected to face a structural deficit of approximately $1.5 million, “yet the proposed referendum is a four-year, nonrecurring referendum for $1.2 million,” an informational packet from the district states. The remaining shortfall, if the referendum passes, will be addressed through additional budget cuts.
District superintendent Eric Runez and business manager Nathan Jaeger have spent the past few weeks making presentations regarding the referendum effects at various meetings in Whitewater.
“Our intent is to share information including the return on investment as well as how we are managing our overall fiscal operations,” Runez told the Common Council Oct. 7.
“We believe the community gets a strong return on investment in our schools… not a week goes by where our facilities are not being used, not only by our students and staff but the community as well,” Runez said.
Runez touted the district’s attributes, from the number of Advanced Placement classes at the high school to the career exploration opportunities at the middle school.
“We’ve seen strong improvements on our ACT scores and school report cards. So, not only are our students participating in AP courses but they’re doing very well as a result,” Runez said.
He also mentioned Whitewater Middle School teacher Diana Callope recently being named Wisconsin Teacher of the Year.
“That is a testament to the quality of our staff. We have a strong staff that educate and serve our community and serve our students on a daily basis throughout the school year,” Runez said.
Jaeger, who said it would be “foolish to be too optimistic about education funding being restored,” said the referendum is essentially a renewal of the last two referendums in Whitewater with the one expiring being in place since 2007.
“The Citizens Financial Advisory Committee and School Board both felt very strongly that this referendum had to be levy neutral… that we could not seek an increase in the levy authority and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Jaeger said.
“We have $1.2 million in debt expiring and that’s what is being proposed, $1.2 million. This is a tax-levy, neutral referendum,” he added.
Jaeger said the district has presented a balanced budget every year and has met its ongoing commitment to maintain the tax levy.
Some of the challenges the district is facing, Jaeger said, include declining enrollment, declining revenue-limiting authority and decreasing state aid.
WUSD has experienced a decrease in general aid each year for the past six, Jaeger said, and this year is projected to receive $3.15 million less than it received in 2008, or $526,082 less than it received last year.
“Despite this decrease from the state, through reductions, we have presented a balanced budget and delivered a stable tax levy,” Jaeger said.
At the Oct. 7 Common Council meeting, Runez and Jaeger also shared what the district has done to manage employee compensation, needed updates to facilities and efforts at energy and water conservation.
The final discussion point they made revolved around the number of school districts in a similar position, not only throughout the state but locally.
“Over 60 percent of the districts in Wisconsin are experiencing a decline in enrollment – more than 40 percent a severe decline,” Jaeger said.
“Even as I talk to my counterparts, if you look even just locally, four of the six districts that touch our borders have had a referendum on the ballot in the past year,” Runez said.
Jaeger said the district’s efforts – from reductions to maximizing operational and energy efficiencies – have been effective.
“Over the last half decade, our operating expenses have increased 1.26 percent,” Jaeger said. “We have really managed to stabilize our tax levy. We expect that to continue even with the proposed referendum.”
Community support
Ron Binning and Marjorie Stoneman, who are spearheading Whitewater YES, a support group for the referendum, they said the district has no other choice.
“They are being forced into it, especially in districts where enrollment is flat or decreasing. We need to keep our schools strong by supporting this referendum,” Binning said.
WUSD officials, according to Binning, have been “good stewards of funds. They’ve made cuts and workable budgets so we need to support this.”
Binning said this is not a bi-partisan issue, as it involves “both parties, no parties, all walks of life.”
“The district’s only option is to pass referendums until, or unless the state comes up with a new way of funding because the current formula is not working,” Binning said.
Stoneman said this affects more than just families who have children in the school district.
“The support needed for this is across the board – parents, grandparents, community members and business owners,” Stoneman said. “This is an investment in the future of the kids and the community.”
“Looking at the big picture,” Binning said, “someone educated us and it’s up to us to educate the kids now, whether we have kids or grandkids or no kids in school now. We owe that to the kids in our community.”
For more information about the referendum, visit www.wwusd.org and click on “2014 Referendum Information,” contact Eric Runez at (262) 472-8700 or erunez@wwusd.org or Nathan Jaeger at (262) 472-8705 or njaeger@wwusd.org.
