Monona Grove Public Hearing on Budget Reductions and Other Items
Saturday, February 20 - Winnequah School Cafeteria -10AM-Noon
Tour of Winnequah - 9-10AM
Decisions Facing MG Board of Education:
• Budget Reduction Items – lists available on website
• Consolidation of Maywood and Winnequah Elementary Schools, as a budget reduction item
• Addition of Modular Classrooms to Elementary Buildings in Cottage Grove
• Moving Monona 6th Grade Students to Glacial Drumlin School
Some Background
The Monona Grove School District is facing a budget shortfall, due to flattening of enrollment and the fact that expenses have increased by a greater percentage than that allowed by the state-imposed revenue limits, or the “revenue cap.” In previous years, the allowable per pupil increase has been tied to the Consumer Price Index in an effort to help schools cover annual increases in expenditures. Wisconsin Act 28, which established the state’s biennial budget for 2009-11, instead included a reduction in the amount of the per pupil revenue increase allowed by the state. The District now faces a structural deficit amounting to about one million dollars in operating expenses in each of the next five years, which is as far as we have projected. The Board needs to cut this amount or go to a referendum to request the taxpayers to allow us to raise revenue above the limit by increasing property taxes. We are attempting to make cuts this year before possibly turning to the taxpayers for help next year.
The facilities situation currently facing the MG School District is a result, in part, of new grade configurations in buildings. Glacial Drumlin School was constructed for the District’s 7th and 8th graders and for 5th and 6th graders from Cottage Grove. Formerly, all of the District’s 6th-8th graders attended Winnequah Middle School. This reconfiguration led to the closing of Nichols as a school, with Monona 3rd-5th graders moving to Winnequah to join Monona 6th graders who remained there. Currently, in terms of total numbers of students per 4K-8 building (with 50% of 4K students counted, since they are in the buildings half days), percentage of capacity in each is approximately:
Maywood-89%; Winnequah-42%; Taylor Prairie-104%; CG Elementary-106%; and GDS-97%.
The number of sections of each grade level is another factor in consideration of building capacity, as is programming. The District Office and the high school and middle school Excel/Soar program are housed at Nichols, and the Board has tentative plans to house our alternative high school there beginning next year, moving those students from their current rental space. Two rooms at Nichols are rented by CESA #2, the Cooperative Educational Service Agency which is served by MG, and the building is sometimes used for in-service programs.
Ad Hoc 4K-8 Grade Configuration Committee
During the last school year, an Ad Hoc Committee on 4K-8 Grade Configuration was established by the Board to study elementary and middle school facilities issues. Membership on this committee consisted of eight community members, including four from each community, and six teachers, administrators, and Board members, including two in each category, also representing both communities. The committee concluded its study and made recommendations to the Board last spring. Related documents, including recommendations, are posted on the district website, through the link to the “Board of Education” and then through “Committees.” The Board approved and began to follow the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee last fall. Follow-up on the recommendation to study District real estate will include investigation of the rental or sale of Nichols School.
Board Consideration and Action
The first recommendation of the Ad Hoc Committee to be addressed by the Board was the recommendation to study whether to house Monona’s 7th and 8th graders in Monona instead of at the newly constructed Glacial Drumlin. A result of such a move could have been movement of Cottage Grove 4th graders to GDS in order to alleviate crowding at CG School. Results of this study were
reported to the Board on December 22, 2009. The Board received an administrative recommendation and approved the following motion on January 27, 2010: “to continue the current structure and have all 7th and 8th grade students attend Glacial Drumlin School. This recommendation is based primarily on the cost impact to the school district, as stated in the report to be $1,062,333 - $1,106,703 in one-time remodeling costs and additional annual operating expenses of from $149,983 - $194,353, not including required annual expenses for additional staffing. It is not feasible nor fiscally responsible for the School District to separate our 7th and 8th grade students.”
The Board could not formally discuss other recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee until the above decision was made. Two other recommendations were to study 6th grade programming and location, and to “maintain Winnequah and Maywood Schools until 4K-8 programming in each community is determined, or until it is fiscally not feasible to operate both buildings.” While there has been previous discussion among administrators over the past few months, these items were on the Board’s agenda for the first time for formal discussion on February 10. On Feb. 10, the Board voted to support an administrative recommendation to maintain middle school programming and structure for the District’s 6th graders and heard an administrative recommendation to move Monona’s 6th graders to Glacial Drumlin in the 2010-11 school year. While no decision was made on that move, a decision at the next Board meeting on February 24 would greatly facilitate the scheduling of these students for next year and this item likely will be voted upon then.
Consolidation of Maywood and Winnequah, Modular Units in Cottage Grove
Another administrative recommendation received Feb. 10 was that the District not add modular units to Cottage Grove School due to a lack of required infrastructure at the building, thus making such an addition more costly, and that we also not add them to Taylor Prairie School for the next year due to lack of money in the budget as well as the fact that more space will be available there due to a predicted decrease in the number of kindergarten sections. The administration has recommended consolidation of Maywood and Winnequah to gain an annual operating expense savings of an estimated $250,000. The District would incur one-time remodeling and moving expenses which are still being calculated at this time. These expenses would not add to the annual costs of delivering education to students. The budget reduction task is focused on these annual operating costs.
Board members and administrators rated the negative impact of each possible budget reduction item on each of four district goals. Then, the administrators used these survey results as one tool in developing the “Preliminary 2010-1011 Budget Reduction Proposals,” which they then presented to the Board. Consolidation of Maywood and Winnequah does not appear on this preliminary list because Board members had not received relevant impact and cost analysis in time to include it on the survey. The consolidation is included on other documents listing possible budget reduction items and was given a high rank as a reduction item by the administrative team. The Board is just beginning to formally discuss modular units and consolidation of Maywood and Winnequah.
When will decisions be made?
As stated in the Budget Calendar posted on the District website, final budget reduction decisions will not be made before March 24, 2010. Community and staff input will be received and discussions will continue until that time.
You may access related information on the District website, under links for “Budget Information,” the “Board President’s Update,” “4K-8 Grade Configuration Study Report,” and others.
Again, a public hearing to discuss budget reduction items, including school consolidation, will be held on Saturday, February 20 – 10AM-Noon, with a tour of Winnequah from 9-10AM.
You may email all Board members by using this address: mgsd_board@mononagrove.org.
-Susan Fox
President, Monona Grove Board of Education
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Public hearings info.
Following is the letter sent home with students this week concerning the public hearing hearings on Saturday:
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52 comments:
SEEMS the village president of cg is interested in saving Maywood and keeping strings. I hope someone will invite him to the meeting tonight.
All the while offering little in the way of concrete things he'd like to cut, despite his hammering about school over-spending. Well, he talks about teacher pay and benefits, which are entirely regulated by the very state lawmakers for whom he works. Pretty shameless, if you ask me.
"Well, he talks about teacher pay and benefits, which are entirely regulated by the very state lawmakers for whom he works"
They are regulated by the legislature?
Teachers by law can't strike, even though they are unionized. As compensation for taking away that right, the Legislature set up a system of laws and regulations that essentially dictate the parmeters of state-mandated bargaining with teachers. A cash-strapped district can seek wage concessions, but risks the contract going through an arbitrated process (again, established by the state) that runs a significant risk -- a 50-50 risk, really, decided entirely by a state arbitrator -- that would push up wages and benefits well beyond what the district can afford.
It has the effect of driving up wages and benefits inexorably, with little real ability on the part of the district to constrain them.
If anyone really wants true budgetary reform regarding schools in Wisconsin, the manner in which contracts are negotiated has to be front and center. Instead, even the QEO had the effect of driving up salaries more than districts received through state spending increases or property tax increases.
Anyone know how much Mikalson makes in his state paid job and whether he had to take a pay freeze or furlough?
"Anyone know how much Mikalson makes in his state paid job and whether he had to take a pay freeze or furlough"
Since all state workers took furloughs AND many state workers had to not take their RAISE-I am guessing yes.
The above comment was deleted because it contained hearsay. If you would like to repost it with your name and more details about who said what it may be reposted.
In the meantime, please speak for yourself or stick to publicly available information.
Two problems: 1) You heard and are repeating it here with no way for anyone to verify it - that makes it hearsay unless there is some verifcation you can provide.
2) Your statement "not willing to put up a fight" is presuming you know someone else's motivations, again without verification.
If you would like to identify yourself, and give some reasonable verification of what you say, then the comment can stand. Otherwise no.
I would like to address the "not putting up a fight"- unless you are a board member, or a someone is violating the closed session negotiations, you have no idea what the board is asking from the teachers or what the board and board members positions on these issues are.
From everything I have seen every member of the board is approaching the negotations with the long term best interests of the district foremost in mind -- but you'll have to trust me on that one until the contract process is over.
"but you'll have to trust me on that one until the contract process is over"
OK, I will.
Can I say this:
At times, I wonder if local politicians are like pay less shoes. The shoes look good and I am excited, but after about 3 weeks I wonder what was I thinking and have no way of returning them.
I'm confused by Mike Mikalsen's numbers in the Herald, and wonder if Mr. Sobol can explain. Mr. Mikalsen says the state has been committed to pay 2/3s of the cost but the math suggests otherwise.
He says that MG pays about
$13,227 per student and tax payers took up $7,858 in 08-09. That leaves $5,369 from the state. $5,369/$13,227 is not 2/3rds, its closer to 2/5ths.
He also says that MG pays more per student then the state average of $11,942. But again if the state is paying $5,369/$11,942 this is not even 1/2. I realize that voters added some of the extra money for the 2 new buildings, and the state shouldn't pay for this, but shouldn't they pay 2/3 of $11,942 or $7,960 or so? That's about $2,600/student more each year. Multiply it by 3500 students and you'll get way more then the million we're short this year.
Peter, has the state ever paid 2/3 of our budget? Do you know of any districts that they do? If you do, are they making cuts like we are?
I don't want to pass this problem down to teachers the way it seems to me the State has passed it down to us.
First of all let’s ignore the capital expenses. Buildings are entirely financed through voter approved levies and don’t directly effect the operating budget and aren’t part of our operating deficit problem.
Looking at the general operating funds: WI school operating finance starts with the “revenue cap”. The revenue cap is the total amount of revenue per student that a district is allowed to raise for general operating expenses. For MG in 2009-10 that number is $10,810.38. Multiply this by the number of students for a three year average (2864), we get a total general fund operating revenue of $30,961,000. That $31 million can then come from a combination of sources: state aid and local property taxes. The state aid is divvied up according to a formula that depends on the local total property value and the mil rate: districts with lower property values get more aid, those that have higher value get less. The balance, the difference between the state aids and the revenue limit is allowed to be levied on your local property taxes. The bottom line though is that districts with equal mil rates will have equal revenue per student regardless of total property value in the district, that’s why they call it “equalization”. MG has relatively high property value per student, so we get less in aid than many other districts.
For 2009-2010 the state aid is $12,415,000, leaving an operating fund levy of $18,596,000. So the state is picking up about 40% of the district operating revenue. When the system was put in place there was a commitment for the state to provide 2/3rds of the funding of schools, on average statewide. The last data I could find (2006-7) shows only 59%, I have to think it has gone down since then. http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/Informationalpapers/27_state%20aid%20to%20school%20districts_RK&LM.pdf
A district can exceed the revenue cap through an operating referendum to be paid by local property taxes, however some districts (including ours) are “negatively aided” and state aid would be reduced by some percentage of the additional referendum revenue (I don’t make the rules!)
Note: I’m oversimplifying here, numbers are from the 2009-2010 annual meeting report, there are endless adjustments that add $491K here and take away $50K there, but you get the gist. The state does make additional contributions in the form of “categorical aids”: for example money that goes directly to special ed. But this is not discretionary spending so the relationship to the operating deficit isn’t direct.
District budget's have been getting the squeeze for years: Please read:
http://www.excellentschools.org/resources/IWF%20cost_to_continue%20survey%20Nov%202005.pdf
"In other words, the typical school district in Wisconsin each year cuts 1.7% from a basic cost-to-continue budget."
You might not be aware, but MG has cut its budget in each of the last 2 years.
I wanted to respond to some of the posted comments. It was suggested by one post that teacher pay and benefits are “entirely” regulated by state lawmakers. This is false. The Governor and Legislature repealed the QEO law as part of the 2009-2011 State Budget. Teacher pay and benefits are resolved through a collective bargaining process outlined in the state statutes. Each school district negotiates its own contract provisions with local unions.
Another post references my employment in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Yes, I am a state employee and will be taking a total of eight furlough days in each of the next two fiscal years. That equates to about a 3% annual salary reduction. Additionally, I will not be receiving a 2.6% merit award that was earned this past August. These salary reductions are necessary and appropriate considering the sacrifices being made throughout the public and private sector. My salary is a matter of public record. After the reductions, I currently earn $52,300 annually (after 18 years of service).
Finally, my column in the newspaper never said the state funds 2/3 of the Monona Grove School District budget. It says the state attempts to fund 2/3 of statewide public school district expenditures. That dollar amount is put into a school aid distribution formula that determines the exact amount of general state aid each district receives. There are many formula factors, but the two most important are the number of students in a district and the equalized property value per student. The actual percentage of state funds received by each school district will vary based on the general school aid distribution formula, categorical aid eligibility and a few other smaller sources.
The issue facing Monona Grove is not necessarily having enough money. It’s how the money is being spent. By the way, I have full faith in Mr. Sobol’s ability to solve the problems facing our district in a fiscally responsible manner.
Can we do a negative referendum and get more aid?
Mike- The cost to the state of your health care benefit probably went up this year, do you know how much? If you were a teacher that would be counted as a raise. Thanks-
It should be counted as a raise.
"It should be counted as a raise."
The point is....his take home went back even more.
Anytime the employer pays more for salary and benefits, it is an increase in compensation for the employee. State employee health care costs did increase, but was also partially offset by changes in the plans and having employees pay more in co-pays.
My point is simple. I am a state employee (in a non-unionized environment) and have sacrificed to help keep my job and the employment of my colleagues. This concept is often controversial among public sector employees. Many public employees believe you take no wage and benefit concessions and force management to layoff less senior staff. Other public employees believe in the shared sacrifice principle in historic economic times.
In the private sector, there really hasn’t been any choices since many companies have needed to reduce costs through all available options including layoffs, pay cuts, benefit elimination, reduced hours, and many other difficult ways to save money. In the private sector, the debate is about survival and making it to better times. In the public sector, there is this illusion that we don’t have to change because government can simply tax more and everything will be fine.
I do respect the great and difficult jobs that Monona Grove School District employees do everyday. However, if the children will sacrifice through reduced programming and the parents will sacrifice with the potential of building consolidations and the community will likely sacrifice in the future with higher property taxes, then it is not unfair to suggest that the employees of our school district also share in the sacrifice by achieving ongoing savings in our district’s compensation costs.
So no, you don't know how much or which way the total value of your compensation changed this year.
Comparing teaching to the private sector is apples and oranges. Private sector compensation is governed by the market, supply and demand. But because of the revenue cap and the QEO teacher compensation hasn't been related to market forces since 1993. To argue that teacher salaries should be subject to market forces only in economic down times, but capped at other times is simply unfair.
If teachers are expected to "share the sacrifice", then the public should be generous enough to share wealth in better times. Since 1993 the public has NOT been willing to share the wealth, so why are teachers expected to share the sacrifice? Its only fair this is a two way street.
Peter, didn't our district operating expenses increase after building Glacial Drumlin? Wasn't that the second referendum on the ballot--to increase operating expenses to pay to operate the new middle school in Cottage Grove? Is it fair to say that facilities "don't directly effect the operating budget"?
Clearly buildings effect the operating budget, transportation and utilities are operating expenses and location impacts busing costs, energy efficiency impacts utility costs, etc. But capital expenditures, the money raised and spent to build the buildings is entirely seperate from the operating budget both from a revenue and expense point of view. Our current problems relate only to the operating budget.
Given the pressures on the operating budget there is a motivation to shift costs from operating to capital budgets. For example capital spending on energy efficiency upgrades can reduce the operating deficit, or a capital spending on new building near a new development can reduce transportation operating costs.
I don't remember the details of the operating referendum approved in 2006, I think some of it was due to the costs incurred in splitting the 6th grade programming and that we were adding a building (we still have to maintain and heat Nichols for the admin offices and community use).
Is Milwaukee eating up too much of the school resources from the state? I know there is some attempt to give the Milwaukee mayor some super authority over the district, would this help their funding issues (and therefore ours)?
Peter, is the board going to look into the possiblity of moving Nichols offices to Winnequah instead of Maywood? This was proposed several times at both listening sessions, but I have not heard this question answered directly by the board or Mr. Gerlach. Given the major negative ramifications to our community of closing Maywood and the fact that doing so would only solve some of the budget crunch, this really needs to be looked at as a viable option.
If the state spent less on Milwaukee more money would be theoretically available for other districts. Presumably these dollars would be spent in the current formula and the revenue caps would stay in place. That would mean no net increase for the district, any additional money from the state would be offest with a lower property tax levy.
Craig noted on at the meeting on Saturday that the administration is looking at the savings of moving to Winnequah.
In my opinion it will be a grave error to close Maywood.
I hope to hear some solution-based ideas. Maybe ones that don't involve closing Maywood -- what would we do if that WASN'T an option?
I also don't think cutting wages and employment is a realistic way to balance an operating budget. Also, spreading the ‘sacrifice’ across public employees is like giving them an additional tax, just because they work for the state... It should be illegal.
It sounds like there are many rules and regulations about the spending imposed by law. Where can these rules be found so a citizen can read them for themselves and maybe draw some conclusions as to whether or not the representation we have is operating in our best interest.
Cuts like this just keep coming. It is a slippery slope. First Nichols, now Maywood. What is next?
You say the per-student funding is tied to property values? Is that average or mean? Do the properties on the Monona’s lakeshore drive our state and federal funding down in Monona? Should there be a separate levy on those properties for that reason? “The excessively large home on the lakeshore tax?” [just kidding…kind of] Are the values based just in Monona or in Monona and Cottage Grove collectively?
I really want to understand why the school board doesn't see any other way out than to close Maywood. It doesn't even close the gap of the million-dollar deficit does it? It is only accounting for $250,000... that leaves another $750,000 to deal with each year... Is that correct?
An overview of the state school finance system can be found here:
http://dpi.wi.gov/sfs/financeoverview.html
Total revenue available to the school district (without a referendum) is limited by the revenue cap and is not a function of local property value. The local property value determines how much of the allowable revenue will be paid by state aid and how much by local property taxes. The state aid is designed to equalize the revenue per student across districts with different property values.
Calculations are based on the total value of the property in the district, including both Monona and Cottage Grove, residential and commercial.
For Robin and others-
I think the new rule should be-- don't post what you don't want cut, unless you post what you do want cut. If you think Maywood should not close, then how would you make up the difference. Yes, if we close Maywood, we are still cutting 700,000 in employees and programs. But tell us which additional things should be cut so that Maywood can stay open. Because anyway you look at it, 1 millions has to go- Take a look at the list, and other programs, and suggest cuts. Because I guarantee that the 250,000 that we would have to go to make up for Maywood- would mean less staff in our classrooms, people losing jobs, and our kids getting less support in all areas.
"Do the properties on the Monona’s lakeshore drive our state and federal funding down in Monona? Should there be a separate levy on those properties for that reason?"
State law prohibits taxing home property at different rates; it's known as the "uniformity clause," and various attempts to repeal/amend it over the years have failed.
It's worth noting that other districts similar to MG -- Milton, a Badger Conference member -- are considering cuts of the very same nature as MG,including school closures. See:
http://www.miltoncourieronline.com/main.asp?SectionID=7&SubSectionID=7&ArticleID=857
Also, those advocating for an immediate referendum to supply money to the district to keep Maywood open might want to consider this thoughtful, long-range approach in Fort Atkinson (another similar district to MG in size and scope), which doesn't just look at how to keep a particular school or program from cuts, but looks several years down the road, with consideration of a referendum more than a year out:
http://dailyunion.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=112&ArticleID=4651&TM=37933.19
I don't buy the slippery slope arguement or the "if Maywood closes, it will never reopen" arguement I've read on this blog or heard at the hearing.
If Maywood and Winnequah were merged, there would be room for 50-75 kids before the building was full. Why wouldn't the board reopen a school if Monona got that many more students?
They would have more funding from the state to cover the some of the expense, they would have an extra building (or 2) in the crowded area, so no building temp classrooms or a new building.
I've not heard anything to suggest the District wants to sell the Maywood location, or tear down the building, only selling Nichols (which I disagree with). Even if the board sold Nichols, there is room for about 250 more students in Monona, and while I belive there is a small baby boom, I don't think it's that big.
"I think the new rule should be-- don't post what you don't want cut, unless you post what you do want cut."
Agreed, and a corollary rule might be: to those (like the mayor) who advocate selling Nichols, the question asked to them ought to be: "Will you personally buy it?"
Funny how people with ideas like that want someone else to do it. Nichols essentially has been "on the market" ever since the referendum passed in 2006. Even the most ardent opponents of the referendum conceded that, after it was passed, Nichols was not likely needed for long-term use by the district for housing students. That it hasn't sold yet speaks more to the current market for a fairly unwieldy piece of property than it does about the district/board's willingness to unload it.
Selling Nichols may or may not be a good idea (if sold, it might be a good idea to attach a rider that seeks to preserve its best assets, like the gym and the playing field. And a small portion of the sale proceeds could be used to refurbish something else in the district to house administrative offices.) Selling Maywood makes no sense, even if the board decides to move its children to Winnequah.
I agree that it is highly unlikely that Nichols will be needed again, between Maywood and Winnequah we have capacity for nearly twice the number of students currently enrolled. I do think that Maywood will be needed again at some point in the future, and should be kept in the inventory. The Maywood property is also quite large, in the unlikely event we need additional facilities, Maywood could be expanded. It makes more sense for those facilities to be centrally located to the neighborhoods rather than on the commercial stretch of Monona Drive.
Selling Nichols has nothing to do with this operating budget crisis. It is a red herring people are using to avoid the tough choices. Unless, of course, the board would be so silly as to spend that revenue on the operating budget. That's like selling your car to pay the utility bill. The utility bill will still be there when the car money is gone and then you will have no car and still no way to pay the utility bill. The profit from the sale of Nichols should be plowed back into long term assets of the district - not used for operating expenses.
Anyone who even HINTS that we should sell Nichols to fund new buildings in Cottage Grove is going to have some serious HELL to pay.
“For Robin and others- I think the new rule should be-- don't post what you don't want cut, unless you post what you do want cut.” --Anonymous
Why does anything have to be ‘cut’? Seems a positively nihilistic approach to public school management.
Well, if you want a rule that people can only post what to cut as opposed to what they don't want cut, how is any productive dialogue going to happen? I had real questions and was having trouble understanding the process of school funding, which turns out, to be convoluted and somewhat confusing to me. Trying to control the discourse when it is valid concern posed in a thoughtful and open way, should not be discouraged. Trying to see things in grays instead of black and white might help broaden your overall worldview.
So Anonymous (really?): I DO want to keep Maywood open. I DO want to keep the teachers in our district…teachers btw that stay here year after year! I DO want my property value to stabilize and not drop any more than it already has.
I disagree with people who argue that another school closing in Monona will not affect our property values. The single reason I moved to Monona was the proximity to schools and the small-town feel of the city and the city center. This was not a light decision. Since we moved we now face dropping property values and now multiple school closings. You could say that since I moved here eight years ago, 50% of the schools in Monona have now closed. I also am not ignorant to how cities are rated as far as real estate goes. A major consideration is proximity to and quality of schools.
I feel that a referendum is NOT an option for Monona, because we no longer have a majority and will never levy any further funding or even emergency funding for our schools from CG! This is a red herring as they can say; ‘See, we had a referendum and it was fairly voted down.” I really see no options with this setup.
How did we find ourselves in this situation? This is a question I have no answer to as yet, so if anyone would like to offer answers as to why, please, I would be so happy to hear it. Save the “teachers get paid too much” argument. Teachers should be paid MORE. One of the most prestigious jobs in this society should be a teacher NOT a CEO. Society is not a business, society is culture and the degradation of our culture is due to our preponderance of esteem to CEOs and the like, and trying to run schools and government like a business. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture)
Unfortunately people who want to avoid raising taxes to pay for school funding do not understand what it takes to maintain life as we had come to know it when I was a child. They’ll be the first to say; “Freedom isn’t Free!” but forget that the first steps to freedom and a free society is rational and reasoned thought and debate of issues and relegating the commonwealth for the uplifting of mankind and the society that benefits a positive and compassionate race.
I agree with Peter about the fiscal plant savings. These schools were built in the early sixties or late 50s without much consideration for fuel efficiency. They all could use a retrofitting of insulation and new HVAC systems all around. Possibly some of those grant dollars from Obama we just received to green up our schools! This could be a great community project that could be used as a teaching devise and as a community-building project.
I don’t see cutting jobs or closing schools as something that can be a long term win for the district as a whole, but especially MONONA as a CITY. Maybe instead of Ad Hoc committees, we have a real survey done and respectable research into the options we can seriously consider. I see this as a radical reaction and not a reasoned approach to the problem.
I guess I would ask: Is the school not functioning in the community? Is it taking more away than it is giving? Are the teachers squandering the resources of the community? Do we have too many teachers? Are funds misallocated? How many ways can we parse $1,000.000? What is the real impact of these two recent school closings on the property values in Monona? I’m sure there are many more questions. I wish I could be the compendium and force the issue more completely.
So in addition to working to bring these schools as close to ZERO carbon as we can, we can utilize the resources we have in our county and community at large for food programs and funding resources. What is a million dollars in this day and age anyway? About four average Monona homes – One average lakefront home. Put it in perspective. We sell our children’s education up the river for the price of an excessively appointed lake home. Nice. Nice work. Embarrassing.
I see the Monona symbol with the sails blowing in the breeze as being stripped by CG and now just a pathetic set of masts protruding from a foundering ship.
I suspect the Nichols closing had little to do with property value drop. The whole country is down. About 5% in Dane County and much more around the nation. This seems similar to Monona.
Sure people want to live near their schools, and Maywood and Winnequah are pretty near each other. If you live North of Nichols, Winnequah is probably closer. On the South side it's a little longer for drivers, but walkers have the path just past City Hall and 2 or 3 houses. Probably 2 city blocks farther for walkers.
Besides, when people want to move to "good schools" they usually mean the teachers and programs, not the building. Cutting the cost or running an extra building, saves the cuts to the staff and services in it. If we can still offer 4th grade strings when Madison can't, you'll see more moves or open enrollment.
I choose Monona over Cottage Grove too, and am glad I did. Even without Maywood, I would still do so, and I have two children who are/would be going there or Winnequah. I see the partnership with Cottage Grove the same way I partner with my wife. I contribute more in some areas, she does so in others, together we get much more done then either alone. I wish more people saw the district the same way.
Honestly, I think a little perspective is needed. If we could take our heads out of the sand and look around Wisconsin, we will see that there are people who are dealing with very real closings of neighborhood and small town elementary schools. This Maywood/Winnequah thing is a merger of two school populations across the street from each other. I am quite certain that people all over this state who are looking at the heartbreak of actually losing their neighborhood or village elementary school - the thing that is the center of their neighborhood or community - would be incredulous that we are having this debate at all. Could we possibly behave more like spoiled children who have not a clue how good we have it? I also believe that much of this hysteria (and that's exactly what I saw at the hearing I watched on TV) about having small kids with Big Bad 5th and 6th graders is utterly ridiculous. The only people who are stressed out by this are parents, not 4 and 5 year olds.
To Mr. Mikalsen,
How much money can the state save by having a part-time legislature? I imagine this would include cutting quite a few jobs - maybe even yours, right? Despite being just one of 10 full time legislatures in the nation, your boss and his colleagues still haven't come up with solutions for stuff like health care and school funding. Our schools still struggle under a ridiculous funding formula and your plan for working people with no health care is to not get sick. What do you folks do up there all day, every day?
"Could we possibly behave more like spoiled children who have not a clue how good we have it? I also believe that much of this hysteria (and that's exactly what I saw at the hearing I watched on TV) about having small kids with Big Bad 5th and 6th graders is utterly ridiculous. "
Now just one minute-I blame the school board and admin for not communicatin about this change and why it is a good thing.
"How much money can the state save by having a part-time legislature? "
Th Nebraska modle is a good one.
Anonymous (Is this the same Anonymous? or another Anonymous?):
Property values have gone down because they were inflated, but they will not recover as well or rapidly while schools are closing in the neighborhoods. Especially when young families are considering the purchase. The very families we need and want to populate our community and schools!
I don't really care what is going on in all the other places, there are real success stories too! You want to compare and contrast, that is fine, but don't just skew the data in favor of your argument. Find examples of successful school maintenance.
I want a good facility AND good staff. The two compose parts of a successful component; good school.
As far as lumping children together, I have lived through both such situations in my school life. I actually attended Maywood school when I was a girl in the 1960s. It was one of my BEST school experiences.
My son attended Nichols and Winnequah. Of the two, Winnequah was the facility that had the most problems. The classrooms were overcrowded and the HVAC system did not function properly, so the students and teacher were extremely uncomfortable.
My brother attended Winnequah when it was first built and also attended Nichols, the OLD Nichols. This was a very good district then. Struggling, as it is now. These problems are not new problems. As far as I can see, special programs and the like that are mandated are mostly covered in grants from the feds and the state. So I'm really still trying to understand where the major 'surprise' change in funding happened. I hope someone can tell me.
I hope the board opts to go slow here and not make any rash decisions. I hope they wait until the census is taken and published. I hope that they choose to take the time and find positive solutions to this issue.
"So I'm really still trying to understand where the major 'surprise' change in funding happened. I hope someone can tell me."
Robin (not the same anonymous):
The budget problems facing the district, reduced to their broadest explanation, are fairly quite simple:
-- The state is broke; it's a manufacturing state in a manufacturing recession, and a lot more people are unemployed/under-employed than, say, five years ago. That means, among other things, the state collects less in taxes.
-- The state almost always increases the amount of money (tax dollars) it gives to school districts. This past year, it did not. That's because it's broke.
-- The school district gets money (simplifying here) from two sources -- the state, and local property taxes, in roughly equal proporations (more in property taxes, but not that much).
-- The state caps -- absolutely prohibits -- how much money local school districts can raise in property taxes to make up for budget shortfalls.
Watch our superintendent during the most recent (Winnequah) budget hearing. He's refreshingly candid about the budget situation, and talks about it in a way that most people can understand, actually a rarity for educators.
"I hope the board opts to go slow here and not make any rash decisions. I hope they wait until the census is taken and published."
By the time the census count comes out, approx 3 years, Maywood will be closed and the overrated strings program at the elementary level will be things of the past.
There are at least 2 anonymous posters here. I wrote that I didn't buy the slippery slope. I still believe that young families will want to move into Monona with a Maywood-Winnequah School.
Monona is pretty small and the two buildings are very close to each other, so parents who want a neighborhood school will be happy. Even combined, the building would have room for 50 kids, so parents who want to avoid crowded schools will be happy. If we save money on utilities, we can save some important programs, at least for a year. That’s extra time to attract supporters of a referendum, and a little extra time the programs can benefit our children.
I think people that move in will not know the history of the district, and evaluate the schools their children will attend and be quite happy. Winnequah is remodeled and quite nice, GDS and the High School still have the “new car smell.” It’s only current residents that feel they are loosing something, not people moving in who never had it.
The loss we feel should not generate anger at Cottage Grove. The State set up a system for 15 years where the board can only increase the budget by 2% and are almost forced to offer raises of 3.8% each year. On top of this, the state cut school funding by several hundred thousand this year, and next year, and probably the following 3 years at least.
The board has to do something and balance a budget by this summer. They’ve been working on it since December, and will soon have to start similar process to handle next year’s deficit. I support a referendum to increase the operating budget past its limit, but it seems the board thinks they have to make all possible cuts before voters agree with me. I think this opinion is correct; referendums always have trouble of passing. Our last one took 2 times before it passed adding another 2 years of kids stuck in an overcrowded school. It may be too late for them to put a question on the April ballot anyway (I know some district have special elections on other days), so the option that is left is cuts.
In evaluating the cuts, the board asked something along the lines of “Which of these will have the smallest effect on our children’s education.” Looking at the list, I would put Maywood at the top of the list, where my kids learn is a smaller effect then what they learn. I think the administration put it as number 2, and the board will rank it tonight. Though I wish they had considered a referendum first, the question above is the most important one to ask on the path they’ve chosen. All cuts are going to hurt, but it’s better to hurt the memories of Maywood alumni, then to hurt the education of tomorrow’s children.
An earlier comment regarding the link between schools and property values brings to light a new way of thinking about this situation.
Property owners should view a necessary increase in their taxes to keep the school system as it is as an INVESTMENT in their property. (You know, like buying new carpeting or updating your landscaping).
Maybe with that viewpoint a referendum will have a better chance at passing.
OPEN QUESTION: Does anyone know the delta per household required to make up the $1M? I know it works out to be about $350/MGSD student.
re:OPEN QUESTION
At one point I think this blog said it came out to about $100 on a $200,000 home for each million above the limits.
A mill rate increase of 0.5 would raise about $1M, but it doesn't account for any potential offsetting reduction in state aids that would result- We would have to raise a bit more to net $1M. I'll find out what that is.
Robin- Winnequah was overcrowded and uncomfortable, that is why the district remodeled it a few years ago. It also has more than 700 kids, while with the consolidation it will have less than 500. So I think your concerns about comfort and crowding have been addressed. It is in excellent condition, much than Maywood at this point.
A lot has changed since you attended Maywood in the 60's.You really should stop by Winnequah and look at the facility before concluding that somehow the children's education will be compromised.
I just can not see going to ref until we solve the riddle of the salaries or health care benefits for retirees.
Peter do you know what it is costing the district to pay for health ins for teachers who are retired.
I know, I know this was a promise, but you know what the say.
"
Peter do you know what is it costing the district to pay for health ins for teachers who are retired?"
This is a good question.
Total health insurance cost to the district is $4.5M. I don't know how much is due to current retirees, but I will ask.
http://www.mononagrove.org/cms_files/resources/09-10%20annual%20report.pdf
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