District 88 officials present reasons for referendum

Levy would

generate $1.2 M

in 2002-2003

By RACHEL WEDDIG

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- District 88 Board members and administration presented financial information on the upcoming referendum to citizens during an informational meeting at Washington Elementary Monday night.

The district is seeking a 10-year, $450 per-pupil-unit levy on Nov. 6 to generate $1.2 million in general funds for 2002-2003. A kindergarten student is worth about one-half pupil unit and a high school student is worth more than one pupil unit. The amount generated would vary for each of the 10 years due to declining enrollment.

"Our responsibility as a community is to ready the children for their lives in the world," said School Board Chair Sue Ullery. "All children in the country regardless of social and economic status have a right to receive an education."

The district expenditures per student were $6,461 for 2001-2002, $588 below the state average of $7,049. The district cut $1.3 million from its budget in 2001-2002 and approximately $700,000 in each of the previous two school years.

Superintendent Harold Remme presented factors impacting the general fund such as inadequate state funding to keep pace with inflation, enrollment decline, increased utility costs, increased health insurance costs and employee compensation costs.

Minnesota schools are financed by the state foundation formula and multiplied by pupil units to give the district its total basic revenue.

Curriculum Director Bill Sprung presented declining enrollment projections for the next 10 years. In 2000-2001 the enrollment was 2,538 student. This year, enrollment is at 2,455 students, a decline of 83 students. Next year, enrollment is projected to be 2,356 students, a decline of 99 students.

Sprung said projections are determined by birth rates at the local hospitals, which are declining.

"Declining enrollment is a phenomena experienced by every school around us in this part of the state," Sprung said. "Actually, declining enrollment is being experienced all across the state, with the exception of Rochester, Duluth and Twin Cities areas."

Sprung said if the referendum fails, class sizes in kindergarten will increase to 26-27 students next year, and class sizes in the high school will increase to 28-33 students per classroom.

Also, if the referendum fails, Sprung is projecting that labs will be eliminated from the science curriculum; all-day kindergarten will be cut to a half-day; band, art, and music will be cut from the middle school; and many dollars will be cut from instruction and pupil support and administration.

The district has 22 less teachers this year than last year.

Currently, Washington Elementary has four class sections with 31 students and two class sections with 30 students; the Middle School has 65 class sections with 30 or more students that means 64 percent of the class sections have 30 or more students; and the high school has 30 class sections with 30 or more students.

If the referendum passes, Sprung said the board will be able to cut teachers based on student need, rather than financial constraints.

School Board member Mark Wiger brought up Gov. Jesse Ventura's initiative of having 17 students per classroom for students in grades K-3. Even if the referendum passes, students in grades K-2 will still have 22 students in the classroom during the next three years.

"The school board looked at the least amount of money they needed to get by," Sprung said. "If the referendum passes, we will have manageable class sizes, but not Cadillac class sizes."

When an audience member questioned the amount and time period of the referendum, Remme pointed out the fact that the district can lower the referendum amount of $450 per pupil unit, but can't raise the amount.

An audience member asked about the charters schools in the district.

"We get no money from charter schools," Remme said. "We have nothing to do with the charter schools, except oversight responsibility. They take all the money the students generate from the state."

One audience member argued the fact that increased class sizes doesn't necessarily mean that students' education will be negatively impacted. Sprung said that the last time the school district was in the shape it is now, was 10 years ago and student test scores were below the national and state average.

Sprung said it took 10 years for student test scores to be where they are now -- well above state and national average.

Audience members said that it doesn't matter if the students of New Ulm are receiving a good education because they move out of town and don't bring back anything to the community.

"I've been in five different communities in my professional life and New Ulm is different in the fact that graduates of New Ulm come back to live and work in the community," Remme said. "They may not come back right away, but they do come back."

Citizen steering committee member Tim Babel said that he and School Board member Sheldon Rieke graduated in the New Ulm High School class of 1973, and felt that at least 30 percent of their class currently lives in the community.

Remme relayed tax impacts from the Department of Children, Families and Learning. The information showed a $75,000 home would see an annual dollar increase of $101 and a $150,000 home would see an increase of $202. Remme pointed out that farmland is not taxable, but the building site and one acre of land around it is taxable.

Business Manager Donna Luhring presented information on how New Ulm compared with other area school districts of the same size such as Fairmont, St. Peter and Waseca.

The district spends less on administration costs then the state average and other area districts, spends less on operations and maintenance then area schools and the state average, and spends less then the state average and area schools on total operating expenditures, which includes administration and instruction.

"The school board members are the stewards of the local educational system and take our tasks seriously," Ullery said. "We have spent countless hours agonizing over cuts. I feel strongly that a referendum is vital for maintaining a healthy school district."