Referendum call may drown in mixed messages

A presentation to the Shawano School Board on Feb. 21 hinted at the possibility of having a referendum in November to pay for some potentially expensive renovations and expansions to the public schools in Shawano. A consultant for the district said discussions are underway with “stakeholders,” a survey is planned to go out to the community and the board could receive a presentation in late May suggesting which direction to go.

While a referendum is not set in stone yet, it’s been my experience in covering education that when a school district smells the possibility of getting the property owners to foot the bill, they’re more than willing to push the question to voters — many of whom do not own homes and would not be paying more in property taxes. Before this stakeholder task force brings forth anything with the word “referendum,” a lesson in recent history and current events might be in order.

Three years ago, the school district and the city of Shawano came together to plan a new recreation center that would replace the existing facility and serve the needs of both entities, with the school district noting it did not plan well when building SCHS in the 1990s and made its weight room and other athletic facilities too small to use. A survey was sent out, and meetings were held throughout the summer to get input on what the center should entail.

When the time came to suggest the referendum, property owners came out and said no, nuh uh, nyet. Why? The price tag of up to $28 million was a factor, but they also said they didn’t feel the district communicates with its constituents about what’s happening in the schools and were not convinced the money would be spent properly.

So the question is whether the district’s become a trustworthy steward in the eyes of the taxpayers since then and could convince a district of well over 10,000 people to agree to pay for bonds worth eight figures to pursue expanded facilities and fix up the ones that are aging. The answer is rather murky.

Let’s start with the pandemic. When schools had to close in 2020, the first time was because of a state edict. However, when the new school year started, Shawano’s public schools went to full virtual learning later in September and stayed there until the second semester, even as neighboring districts only did so for a couple of weeks as necessary. It was only after angry parents read the school board the riot act that it decided to bring students back to schools in-person.

While other districts made a point of telling families when they were lifting their mandates, Shawano was mum until parents started complaining about the issue, and officials were like, “Oh, the governor’s mandate was overturned, and our requirement was linked to that — gee, didn’t you know?” When parents spoke out during a board meeting, which was still meeting virtually at the time, and one tried to blame Superintendent Randi Anderson personally, the board president pulled the plug on the commenter, saying the board doesn’t listen to personal criticism.

Recent meetings have shown district enrollment is dropping, which means less money for the schools. At the same work session where the hint of a referendum came up, administrators presented a new program that could help middle schoolers. Board member Chuck Dallas expressed concern about the program focusing on college readiness, noting that college is just a dream for many students because “we’re a poor district.” Yet the poor property owners would be asked to pay more taxes through a referendum.

When talk of expanding fine arts and athletic facilities first came up in early 2020, officials talked about using the district’s fund balance — the latest euphemism for a rainy day fund — to pay for most of the work, as the district had saved far more than professional bean counters recommend. That talk is no longer there, replaced by suggestions that property owners fork over their money once again.

As for communicating with the public, I only need look at my email to see if the district has improved. Sacred Heart Catholic School, a competitor for Shawano students, sends photos of what the school is doing on an almost weekly basis and has regularly invited me to come to the school and cover stories that might interest the community. Bonduel School District Superintendent Joe Dawidziak recently sent me a link to a video on the district’s Facebook page of a kind act from a recent basketball game. Other districts also communicate regularly.

Shawano School District, though? My email shows notices of board and committee meetings but little else. The last time the superintendent extended an olive branch to the newspaper to cover a story was when the Stockbridge-Munsee helped teachers get vaccinated. That was a year ago. Despite technological advances, many people in the area — especially older ones — still turn to their newspaper or radio station for the news and don’t look at Facebook or other social media. They’re the ones who vote.

If the district decides a referendum is the way to keep its facilities from crumbling and becoming outdated to teach the students of tomorrow, it’s going to have to get on voters’ good side and quit drowning them in a sea of mixed messages.

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com