The board of education hosted another community meeting Jan. 13 in regards to the projected budget shortfall of $600,000 that must be reconciled by the end of this school year as per state law.
Cluster busing, elimination of field trips, charges for after hour building use, increases in pay to participate sports fees, lunch fees, Portage Lake Fitness Center fees have already gone into effect to save money and generate funds. Looming in the background is a projected $1.6 million deficit for the 2010-11 school year. Possible measures needed then could be elimination of 2 administrators, 15-20 teachers, increased class size, increased fees, closing facilities to after school groups, and state minimum busing outside a 2-mile range.
Superintendent Rusty Chaboudy presented some solutions to the more than 100 in attendance. The audience participated in ‘clicker voting’ with instantly tabulated results.
On the forefront is placing a 5 mills or larger operating levy on the May 2010 ballot. The November 2009 levy failed by 500 votes. Clicker voting showed that 88 percent of residents at the meeting supported a May levy. Chaboudy said parents need to register to vote. He told the 12 percent against a levy to please contact him.
Another option is closing Lakeview Elementary for a projected savings of $300,000 which would include eliminating one administrator, savings on utilities, busing, cafeteria, repair and maintenance, personnel, and possible rental of the building could generate income.
The clicker response was 82 percent ‘yes’ to 18 percent who voted ‘no.’ Chaboudy said Lakeview, built in 1920 is structurally sound but the infrastructure is “close to causing big problems.”
Also presented was funding the cost of moving the ninth grade to the high school by taking out a $1 million loan to be repaid $100,000 per year. The money would fund the conversion of the old bowling alley to classrooms, purchase of modular units for the athletic field house at the stadium, modular units for office space at the junior high, demolition of the pool area at CHS. Of the audience, 95 percent supported moving the ninth grade and 70 percent clicked ‘yes’ to taking out the loan.
When asked if the district could pass a levy, 54 percent said yes and 46 said no.
After the clicker voting Chaboudy said he "[felt] better than he did an hour ago" and "now the goal is mobilizing. The only way a levy will pass is if you go out and talk to neighbors about it. Talk about how schools benefit the community."
