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March 10, 2000
District 88 sets referendum voteBallot by mailto take placeon May 23By TONY ZIEBOL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- The District 88 School Board unanimously approved a mail ballot excess levy referendum proposal at its regular meeting Thursday. The referendum calls for a $450 per pupil unit excess levy for a period of five years, with taxes payable from 2001 through 2005. Taking place May 23, the ballots will be mailed to individual registered voters of District 88 at least 20 days before the polling day. Declining enrollment resulting in lost revenue and state funding not up to the district's needs are the major factors a referendum was considered, Superintendent Harold Remme said. If passed, the money will go to replenishing the declining fund balance, keeping programs alive and preventing future cuts. "If it is the intent of the school board to provide the best possible educational and extra curricular programs in the years ahead, it is necessary to increase available revenues," Remme said. "I think we can be pleased (District 88) over the years has been providing quality programs and services in an efficient manner. "(But loss of revenue) makes it difficult to provide quality programs." Because the district all ready has made cuts totalling $738,000 for the 1999-2000 school year and approved $500,000 in cuts for 2000-2001, the board felt a referendum was sorely needed. If a referendum is not passed this year, the district may be forced to cut an additional $1 million in 2001-2002. "If we are to continue in this pattern, we will have gutted our educational programs and services we offer our students," Remme said. Eighty percent of schools in Minnesota have an excess levy referendum in place. The proposed referendum in District 88 will still be under the state average of $506 per pupil unit. Expenditures for the district are also well below the state average. If the referendum passes, it would overlap one year with the expiring 2002 $146 per pupil unit referendum, the creating financial and programming stability for the next five years. Also, by doing a mail ballot in the spring rather than during regular state and national elections in November, conflict with fall elections and other issues can be avoided. Remme reiterated three major goals for the districts future: * Providing a balanced curriculum and extra curricular program * Maintain smaller student to teacher ratios * Maintain an adequate fund balance for cash flow emergencies. Board members said they are not pleased to propose another referendum, but they felt there was no other choice. "It's unfortunate we have to go back to the taxpayers," Board Member Brian Wieland said. "I think we owe it to our kids (to keep quality programs and services alive). We've been very frugal with (the district's) money, but it's not enough."
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