Board rehashes reasons for failed referendum

While work will need to be done in future, board is not in a rush to bring any questions back to voters

“I feel this community is very polarized and it is very disheartening.”

John Zuleger shared that sentiment during Monday night’s school board meeting as part of a discussion of the recent failed referendum and what the district needs to do moving forward.

The district’s third attempt to pass a remodeling and expansion project for the high school lost by a two to one margin on April 5, the same margin it lost by a year earlier.

State law allows school boards to put two referendum questions to voters during a calendar year. While it is possible for the district to bring another referendum to voters next fall, board president Dave Fleegel said that while the board is not done discussing the needs of the district, there are no plans to bring anything forward. The earliest likelihood for any sort of building referendum to be considered is for the November 2024 election. However, depending on what the state does following this fall’s election and the next biennial budget the district may need to look at asking taxpayers for additional funds to meet budget needs including keeping up with maintenance projects.

Zuleger said there was a disconnect between the information the board was receiving and the community. He noted that at the beginning of the process, the district conducted a survey to gauge interest in a referendum and see what support there was and for which projects. “There is a huge disconnect between the survey two years ago and now,” he said, noting that by that survey 66 percent of respondents said they would support the level of project brought forward in the most recent referendum. “People must have changed their minds substantially,” he said.

“I am confused and unsure about what this community wants,” he said. One of the biggest challenges according to Zuleger is the lack of discussion to reach any sort of middle ground. He said there appears to be people who want to write no for the sake of writing no.

Board member Don Everhard said that cost was a factor for people in this vote. The first attempt had a price tag of about a $45 tax increase for residents he said with the district’s paying off debt that projected increase was closer to $148 on a $100,000 home, leaving many homeowners looking at spending $6,000 over the next 20 years for the school project.

Everhard also noted that people are concerned with gas prices and inflation and have issues with the district seeming able to find money for other projects and should make the investment as they go along. He also noted that the opposition to the referendum got very organized.

“The loudest voice is the one that is heard,” Zuleger said.

Board member Brian Hallgren said people forgot that the board lowered the local tax rate by 27% last fall. “Where is the thank you card for that?” he asked.

District administrator Pat Sullivan said the toughest thing for him was hearing misinformation such as comments about a $300,000 ticket booth, referring to the new bathroom and concession building that will be built at Raider Field. “We are doing a concession stand, with bathrooms, water, electricity and a school store,” he said.

Hallgren said it comes down to trust. “The people don’t trust us,” he said referring to the board. “They don’t trust us and that’s it,” he said.

Board member Jodi Nuernberger said that the comments she has received suggested taking a piecemeal approach. She also noted that the world has changed a lot since the start of COVID and that a survey from then is not as valid.

While the needs identified in the referendum will eventually have to be addressed in some form, Fleegel said that for now they would let the issue rest and not include it in upcoming agendas unless something changed.

In other business, board members:

_ Approved the district taking on the expense of running seventh grade football and girls and boys soccer from grades six through eight at an annual cost of about $17,100 that will be paid out of the Fund 80 community services account. The fund 80 levy is independent of the school district’s regular levy and is currently at $317,000 and is designated to be spent on things the whole community can take part in. Finance director Audra Brooks noted this would not be a substantial increase. “I think we could add it on easily without it being a huge impact,” she said. The programs are currently scheduled by the school but are funded by independent organizations. Everhard expressed concern about the impression that the district could find money for sports but not for other things. He asked middle school principal Al Leonard if there was value in the program. “I cannot advocate strong enough for keeping kids active,” Leonard said supporting adding the teams.

_ “Where do we draw the line?” asked board member Corey Dassow, questioning if youth hockey would be next to come forward.

_ Sullivan said it would be difficult to find a middle school level school hockey team because of the restrictions and rules that come along with being a school sport versus a club sport dealing with things such as grades and the number of games played in a season.

_ Approved a proposal from the city of Medford to give the school district two building lots in the planned Pep’s Drive subdivision. The plan would be for the school’s building trades class to spend three hours each day on building a house on one of the lots during the 2023-2024 school year and at the end of the year sell the house and use the money to pay for building a second house. “I cannot be more excited by this,” Sullivan said, noting it will be a great way to provide hands-on learning. The class will be building the concession stand/bathroom building for Raider Field during the 2022-2023 school year.

_ Hallgren praised the city for giving the district such a tremendous opportunity. “That kind of collaboration is inspiring and I hope to see more of it,” Zuleger said.

_ Reviewed how the district would fit new equipment in the existing technical education spaces if the district is successful in receiving grant funds to upgrade the tech ed areas. The district is awaiting formal word on the grant awards.

_ Approved a three-year contract with Crabman’s Driving School to continue to offer driving lessons to students in the district who sign up and pay for them. Unlike many districts, Medford allows students to do their driver’s ed during study hall during the school day. This would continue under the new contract.

_ Approved some of the requests from staff and rejected others. Approved was increasing the pay for curriculum development hours for teachers during the summer to match the $23 per hour paid for summer school. This is projected to have no net budget impact because the district utilizes grant funds for those programs and it would result in fewer hours being scheduled. For the teachers the board rejected requests to increase the summer school pay and giving additional sick leave days due to staff having used theirs during COVID. For the support staff, the board approved increasing the payout rate for unused sick days to match the district staff. Board members also approved an additional $1 per hour pay increase for the 9-month employees who currently pay 20% of their health insurance premiums. The request had been for the district to pay more of the insurance premium, but in discussion board members felt it would be more beneficial and easier to track and contain costs to raise the pay of current aids rather than the risk of what increases to healthcare costs could be.

Board reorganization

There were a few changes in the board officers as a result of the April 5 election. Dave Fleegel was unanimously elected to continue as board president. For vice president John Zuleger won the position with five votes to Don Everhard’s four. Brian Hallgren had also been nominated for it but declined the nomination. Jodie Nuernberger is the new board clerk replacing Cheryl Wibben who lost her reelection bid. Hallgren was reelected as board treasurer.

There were no changes to the official list of depositories with AbbyBank, Nicolet and Forward banks all being named. The Star News was also named the district’s official newspaper.

Fleegel reviewed the committee appointments noting that each board member should have received a survey of their interests. Over the next few days he will make the appointments and let the board member know which committees they will be asked to serve on.