Appleton Area School District PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Appleton Area School District has support for a new operational referendum, should it hold one.
That’s according to a survey polling the district’s residents. Results were presented to members of the school board Wednesday morning.
The district said 7,426 people took its survey — a response rate of 17%.
The school board is expected to decide in January if they will move forward with a referendum April 7, according to the district’s website about the project. That money would go toward balancing the district’s $13 million deficit.
“We get revenue increases that are dictated by the state government,” said Superintendent Greg Hartjes. “They were anywhere from no increase to 3% increases, in years where inflation was 5%, then 8%, then 4%.”
That website notes:
Over the past three years, a $13 million deficit has accumulated. This deficit is the result of inadequate state funding, the lingering effects of historic inflation and rising costs of goods and services, and a low reimbursement rate for expenses associated with providing required special education and English language services to students who qualify.
The survey included a question regarding what budget for a referendum would be supported, with options for $17 million, $15 million, $13 million and so on. Survey respondents, in a weighted analysis, were unlikely to pass a referendum of $17 million, but nearly 60% would support a $15 million referendum.
A $15 million referendum would mean a $37 increase per $100,000 of property valuable for the next four years.
Hartjes says extra money wouldn’t be wasted.
“That will be primarily used for student services positions around mental health. So we’re looking at, like I said, possibly social workers, school counselors. And then also, we have a significant increase in our homeless population. So we would like to hire one more homeless coordinator to add to the one that we have. And then put some dollars into supporting homeless in terms of transportation,” he said.
If the referendum doesn’t go through, the district would need to make more significant cuts.
“We’re going to have to cut programs, we’re going to have to cut staffing across all positions, from administration to in the buildings, our [paraprofessionals] and teachers and our secretaries. We would look to have to cut $13 million in all of that,” Hartjes said.
Board members did raise concerns, with changes like the Grand Chute reassessment not being finalized before the survey was concluded, or if the voter supported the change before they knew their taxes would go up. Would they support it after?
While those questions couldn’t be answered Wednesday morning, it’s food for thought as the board is still considering a referendum to put on the ballot next April.
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