School board trimming proposed referendum

Fine tuning continued during a July 22 work session at which the Shawano School Board examined its proposed November referendum that it plans to decide on Aug. 12.

So far, the district has hacked off almost $2.3 million from the previous referendum that failed, with indicators that tax rates will drop regardless of whether voters approve it or not. Currently, the district tax rate is $6.66 per $1,000 of equalized valuation, or $666 on property worth $100,000. If the referendum passes, the tax rate for the current school year could drop to $6.39, and then $6.33 the following year. If it fails, the tax rate is estimated to drop to $5.62 for this school year and $4.62 the next.

Board member Bobbi Lemerond said she’s been approached by community members regarding ways to fundraise for some of the performing arts and athletic field amenities for Shawano Community High School instead of including them with the referendum, currently estimated at almost $7.6 million.

“I’ve had a lot of questions about, are we looking to fundraise within the community for any of these spaces like the stadium or the orchestra pit,” Lemerond said. “There’s always a debate on a need versus a want. If we look at some of our larger businesses to fund some of these things instead of having a referendum, or perhaps we could still have them in the referendum and the community supports these, can we pay the referendum down? What would our options be if we had community support?”

Board member Jeana Winslow suggested keeping the items as part of the referendum, and ask businesses to fund the maintenance of those items.

Jody Anders, K-12 consultant with Hoffman Planning and Design, expressed concern about taking some of the improvements off the referendum with the deadline so close — the state’s deadline for ballot questions is Aug. 27, 70 days before the election.

“I know there have been discussions about the two areas of the orchestra pit and the synthetic turf — fundraising for both,” Anders said. “No one has come forward yet. I believe some inquiries have been made by parties we thought were interested, but no one has stepped up yet.”

Anders said “we do need” the facility improvements on the referendum, and that it was possible for someone to step up and sponsor the football stadium or the auditorium, and then that money could go to pay down the debt and possibly clear it off the books earlier.

Superintendent Kurt Krizan pointed out that it was important to show why all the items on the proposed referendum are needs and not wants. He noted that the fitness and weight room area for SCHS is half the size of other school districts the size of Shawano.

In the previous referendum, the district proposed adding space to the high school for a larger weight room, but now it’s looking at renovating the space currently occupied by the district office and family and consumer science classes for a larger weight room. The classes would be relocated to the career and technical education area on the west end of the school, and the district offices would be relocated to Olga Brener Intermediate School, renovating existing space and only requiring about 82 square feet of new space for a vestibule.

The high school has had to turn away career education students because of the lack of space, according to Krizan, which is the reason the district is seeking to expand that part of SCHS.

“Our CTE areas are really too small for the demand,” Krizan said. “Our automotives class has 18 students in it, because there are 18 seats in Jeremy Hodkiewicz’s classroom. With a larger classroom, we could probably get more students to take the class.”

Equipment is on the brink of failure at most of the schools. Krizan cited the electrical panel at Olga Brener as an example.

“Our main electrical panel, that’s a big issue,” Krizan said. “If something happens there, we’re without electricity. It would be a very expensive emergency fix that would need to be done.”

Even at a newer school like SCHS, which opened in 1997, a lot of the equipment is old and falling apart. Krizan noted most of the desks were around in 1997, and many companies don’t make parts for those desks anymore. He said the generator at the high school is also in jeopardy.

“I know we just tested our generator today, and it was not good, so our generator needs some assistance there,” Krizan said.

Tim Renard, the newest school board member, noted when he saw the first referendum, he was against the proposal. He said he has come around since joining the board.

“I was not in favor of the referendum (in April),” Renard said. “The more I learned, the more I see, the more people are putting money into everything to better the opportunities for students and enhance the learning opportunities, things like that, it’s moved me to a different side of it. It’s not just spending money willy-nilly because we can spend it.”

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com