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Referendum for schools is $54 million

By HEATHER CLARK
Special to The Gazette
The cost for constructing additions and remodeling nearly all of the Stevens Point Area Public School District school buildings to address space needs may be about $14.5 million less than initially thought.

School Board members, during a special meeting Monday night, agreed to drop a new pool, a new auditorium, air conditioning and $3 million in contingency funds from an all-encompassing referendum question asking for money to resolve the district's space crunch.

The all-or-nothing question would ask for about $54 million for capital improvements including classroom additions and remodeling to district buildings and a new Alternative High School. Another question could request permission to exceed revenue caps by $4.2 million for annual recurring operating costs.

The board approved each question 7-1. Ray Haas voted no on each motion; Scott Schultz was not in attendance.

During the two-and-one-half hour meeting there was general consensus that on Monday board members could change the questions or add a third that would include the pool, auditorium and air conditioning. The cost included in that question would be about $7 million.

The board has until Monday to decide the referendum questions in order to meet the law's mandate of informing the public of a referendum 45 days prior to the voting date.

The $4.2 million amount associated with recurring annual operating costs may be modified at the board meeting next week. It consists of a long-term maintenance plan for the whole district, maintenance and staffing costs associated with the new construction/remodeling, technology, textbooks and money to pull the district's budget up enough that programs will not be threatened.

Haas voted against the one-lump question saying the projects should be split into five questions: one each for the needs of SPASH, the junior highs, and the elementary schools, and separate questions for the Alternative School and maintenance items.

He also believed the operating costs question should ask to exceed revenue caps only for recurring annual costs associated with the new construction and remodeling projects, which would come to about $1.6 million.

The board agreed that air conditioning for all school buildings, a swimming pool at Ben Franklin Junior High School and an auditorium at P.J. Jacobs Junior High School should be removed from the construction question.

"I think it will defeat the referendum if it's lumped in," board member Kate Wichman said.

Not only that, those items could be seen as extras, board member Barb Ruesch said.

"When we're asking for money for textbooks and faucet handles it doesn't sit well with me to be asking for luxury items and I see air the same as I see the pool and auditorium: as luxury items."

Debating the merits of a long-term maintenance plan connected to the referendum took up a majority of the meeting.

"If we don't institute a levy that maintains our capital plant… you're not repairing, you're replacing," Mike O'Meara said.

Each time the car you drove needed an oil change, he said, you wouldn't go to a bank to borrow for it. That is basic maintenance, as are the items not directly related to the new construction, he said. Some of those needs include faucet handles, door knobs and new carpeting.

"I would really oppose going to referendum to ask if I can change the oil in my car, which is what we'd be doing," he said.

Haas countered, saying if his car needs ever got to that point, he'd re-examine his household budget and cut out perhaps various activities in order to pay for repairs.

"A portion of the budget has gone up: 86 percent of the budget is for staff and 10 years ago it was 75 percent. We're blaming it on revenue caps, but what makes an excellent education?" he said.

"You're driving a Cadillac and now you're saying I can't afford to maintain my Cadillac. Well, maybe a nice Chevrolet will do the trick," he said. "I think maybe we need to look at cuts on what's considered an adequate education. We add, add, add. Maybe we can come down on the 86 percent a little bit."

Superintendent Emery Babcock said state mandates fix that 86 percent of the budget and cuts would have to take place in the remaining 14 percent. That has been happening annually with dollars coming from the maintenance portion of the budget, putting the district in its current predicament, he said.

By creating a long-term maintenance plan, the base budget for maintenance would be restored and a committee could prioritize needs each year through the budget process, board members said.

"These aren't important in their specificity," O'Meara said. "These are telling the magnitude of the maintenance needs in the district."



	Referendum for schools is $54 million By HEATHER CLARK Special to The Gazette The cost for constructing additions and remodeling nearly all of the Stevens Point Area Public School District school buildings to address space needs may be about $14.5 million less than initially thought. School Board members, during a special meeting Monday night, agreed to drop a new pool, a new auditorium, air conditioning and $3 million in contingency funds from an all-encompassing referendum question asking for money to resolve the district's space crunch. The all-or-nothing question would ask for about $54 million for capital improvements including classroom additions and remodeling to district buildings and a new Alternative High School. Another question could request permission to exceed revenue caps by $4.2 million for annual recurring operating costs. The board approved each question 7-1. Ray Haas voted no on each motion; Scott Schultz was not in attendance. During the two-and-one-half hour meeting there was general consensus that on Monday board members could change the questions or add a third that would include the pool, auditorium and air conditioning. The cost included in that question would be about $7 million. The board has until Monday to decide the referendum questions in order to meet the law's mandate of informing the public of a referendum 45 days prior to the voting date. The $4.2 million amount associated with recurring annual operating costs may be modified at the board meeting next week. It consists of a long-term maintenance plan for the whole district, maintenance and staffing costs associated with the new construction/remodeling, technology, textbooks and money to pull the district's budget up enough that programs will not be threatened. Haas voted against the one-lump question saying the projects should be split into five questions: one each for the needs of SPASH, the junior highs, and the elementary schools, and separate questions for the Alternative School and maintenance items. He also believed the operating costs question should ask to exceed revenue caps only for recurring annual costs associated with the new construction and remodeling projects, which would come to about $1.6 million. The board agreed that air conditioning for all school buildings, a swimming pool at Ben Franklin Junior High School and an auditorium at P.J. Jacobs Junior High School should be removed from the construction question. "I think it will defeat the referendum if it's lumped in," board member Kate Wichman said. Not only that, those items could be seen as extras, board member Barb Ruesch said. "When we're asking for money for textbooks and faucet handles it doesn't sit well with me to be asking for luxury items and I see air the same as I see the pool and auditorium: as luxury items." Debating the merits of a long-term maintenance plan connected to the referendum took up a majority of the meeting. "If we don't institute a levy that maintains our capital plant… you're not repairing, you're replacing," Mike O'Meara said. Each time the car you drove needed an oil change, he said, you wouldn't go to a bank to borrow for it. That is basic maintenance, as are the items not directly related to the new construction, he said. Some of those needs include faucet handles, door knobs and new carpeting. "I would really oppose going to referendum to ask if I can change the oil in my car, which is what we'd be doing," he said. Haas countered, saying if his car needs ever got to that point, he'd re-examine his household budget and cut out perhaps various activities in order to pay for repairs. "A portion of the budget has gone up: 86 percent of the budget is for staff and 10 years ago it was 75 percent. We're blaming it on revenue caps, but what makes an excellent education?" he said. "You're driving a Cadillac and now you're saying I can't afford to maintain my Cadillac. Well, maybe a nice Chevrolet will do the trick," he said. "I think maybe we need to look at cuts on what's considered an adequate education. We add, add, add. Maybe we can come down on the 86 percent a little bit." Superintendent Emery Babcock said state mandates fix that 86 percent of the budget and cuts would have to take place in the remaining 14 percent. That has been happening annually with dollars coming from the maintenance portion of the budget, putting the district in its current predicament, he said. By creating a long-term maintenance plan, the base budget for maintenance would be restored and a committee could prioritize needs each year through the budget process, board members said. "These aren't important in their specificity," O'Meara said. "These are telling the magnitude of the maintenance needs in the district."