ditor’s note: In response to an anonymous opponent of the Bonduel School District referendum on the ballot Tuesday, District Administrator Patrick Rau on Friday issued the following statement:
Recent information included in a letter has been shared by a concerned, but anonymous person. Which led me to think that more community members may have similar questions. I would like to take this opportunity to provide more information and our rationale.
$1.1 Million Savings Account
The letter refers to a savings account for the district with a balance of $1.1 million. In reality, it is a fund balance. For school districts, a fund balance is not solely made up of cash in a bank. It is rather money on hand, money that is expected, minus liabilities to pay (bills, payroll, payroll taxes, etc.). The fact is that the district does not begin the year with all of its revenue for the school year. Local property taxes are received in three installments (the last one in August) and the state spreads aid payments out over nine months.
Our independent auditors recommend at least a fund balance of 30 percent and a bare minimum of 15 percent of our state aid and local property tax revenue. Currently we are at 12 percent.
Further reduction of the fund balance will put the district in fiscal instability that may cost taxpayers more in the long run as at some point we need to replace those funds for emergency cash and to maintain an acceptable credit rating.
Staffing Plans
It sounds great in theory that as enrollment declines, for every 10 students the district loses, a teacher could be reduced. However, it is never that simple as declining enrollment never to rarely happens in one grade level. Please consider this example: For kindergarten we have 38 students and two teachers. Instead eight students move away. The district will have about $80,000 less in revenue but we would not reduce our staff to one teacher. It is difficult to argue that 30 kindergarten students with one teacher has the best interests of the children in mind.
On an annual basis the board and administration reviews staffing needs for the now and future.
Elementary Principal
The letter alludes to a hiring process that is closed with only a handful of people privy to the information. In all actuality the district’s hiring process for principals includes support staff, teachers, administration, and the entire board. After the process and a thorough background check, Brad Grayvold was approved by the school board.
Inaccurate information has been printed by the media and shared by outside parties in the community. I encourage you to be patient and allow for the process used by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to be completed. Due to the requirement of confidentiality during this process, I cannot comment further.
The board and I believe your children and our staff are safe.
Budget Shortfall
The $200,000 budget shortfall was approved by the community at the 2016 annual meeting and approved by the school board. The budget is based on the educational needs of our students along with accounting for utilities, transportation, and maintenance projects. Every attempt is made to balance the budget annually, however the priority is to pass a budget based on our student needs. The board weighed using a portion of our fund balance to offset the rising costs versus cutting staff or programs. This decision was not made overnight, but rather over the course of months of work.
One reason for the shortfall was the need for an additional teacher after the enrollment of our kindergarten class increased by 12 students. After observations of the class along with input from the teachers and parents, the board approved a third teacher.
Our process works, as we have great schools and the local mill rate has been reduced from 10.45 in October 2014 to 9.55 in October 2016. On a $100,000 house, the local property taxes for the schools dropped by $90.
Threats
The letter alleges the use of threats in communications: cutting the lunch program, a four-day school week, and the schools will close. The board and administration always strive to be transparent through their decision-making and budget process. As the board and administration weighed different reductions, we felt it was important to share with staff, parents, and community during the spring meetings and again during the informational meetings in July. The board and administration are candid about all of the considerations and after further research some reductions are not being deliberated.
The closing of the schools has never been discussed by the board. However, this fear apparently came from a question on the community survey from the fall of 2016. Again, this goes back to the board and administration being transparent and asking the community to consider all options. Closing the schools received very little support from the survey and zero support from the board and administration.
The school closing would be devastating to the community.
You are always welcome at every board meeting or to visit me anytime to become more involved in our school system. Our board meetings are held on the first and third Monday of each month, with our annual meeting on August 21 at 6 p.m.
Yours in Education;
Patrick Rau
Superintendent
School District of Bonduel