New Update on the Kiggens-Leifheit "conflict of interest" saga!

On Wednesday, March 26, I contacted the Marshfield School District (namely the School Board Clerk, Laurel Carey) inquiring about the district's conflict of interest policy. Having concerns that a school district employee and officer of the Yes Committee serving on the school board might indeed be a conflict of interest, I went to the school districts web site. They post their policy manual online, but I was only able to find a passing mention of the conflict of interest policy that is usually part of a new board member's orientation packet as outlined in a list. I was particularly interested in items c, d, and e on that list.

Here is a copy of the email I sent:

Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:46:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Marshfield School Watch"
Subject: conflict of interest
To: "Laurel Carey"

Laurel:

I would like a copy of three items that are typically part of the orientation for new Board of Education members. In particular, these three items that fall under "general information":

c. Responsibilities of a Board member including clarification of whom one represents when speaking on Board matters (to avoid problems with people thinking what “you” say is what the Board says)

d. Conflict of Interest – rules and procedures for getting clarification

e. Ethics of being an elected official – what can and cannot be accepted

I am specifically interested in any information dealing with "conflicts of interest." I couldn't find any mention of this in the "policies governing the Board of education" posted on the district's web site, except as a reference that some information may be given during the orientation of new members. I would like a copy of that information.

Doug Seubert
Marshfield School Watch

*****

Here is the first reply back from the central office:

Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:40:58 -0500
From: "Laurel Carey"
To: "Marshfield School Watch"
Subject: Re: conflict of interest

I'll have to forward this on to Mr. King. If it's not in the Policy
Manual I really don't know where else it would be. I know that Mr.
King consults with the legal department at the Wisconsin Association of
School Boards (WASB) quite a bit so he may have something in his
office.

*****

I had already gone to the WASB web site looking for the information there. I have already posted that information in previous posts. I included a quote from their policy handbook for school board members that references Wisconsin state statute 946.13.

*****

Second reply from central office:

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:39:35 -0500
From: "Laurel Carey" Add Mobile Alert
To: marshfieldschoolwatch@yahoo.com
Subject: Conflict of Interest

Mr. Seubert,

Mr. King gave me two documents that he usually reviews with new School Board members. As they are only available in hard copy form I will be mailing these documents to you.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Laurel L. Carey
Secretary to the Director of Business Services
School District of Marshfield

*****

May I have the envelope, please?

(drum roll)....

I received the letter today. Just four sheets of paper, no cover letter, no additional explanation.

Here's what they sent:

Two of the four pages were from the Wisconsin statutes, 19.59 Codes of ethics for local government officials, employees and candidates. Here is the link if you want to see it for yourself: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/statutes/Stat0019.pdf (they sent me pages 20 and 21).

The other two pages were titled "Ethics/Roles and Responsibilities," which are two numbered lists of statements.

The first list is subtitled "WASB Public Responsibilities for School Board Members" and it is followed by a list of seven items. It reads like an oath that all school board members should take. The third item on the list reads, "I must avoid all conflicts of interest, both pecuniary and nonpecuniary." Number six on the list reads, "I am a local legislator, but I must work under state and federal laws."

The second list is subtitled "As a member of my local Board of Education, I will strive to improve public education, and to that end I will:" and then it follows with a list of 11 items. Number three on this list is "render all decisions based on the available facts and my independent judgment, and refuse to surrender that judgment to individuals or special interest groups." (That would certainly include the Yes Committee!) A similar item on the list says I will: "take no private action that will compromise the Board or administration." This second list also has another statement regarding conflicts of interest. I will: "avoid being placed in a position of conflict of interest, and refrain from using my Board position for personal or partisan gain."

*****

So, what I got from the school district was pretty much what Marshfield School Watch already researched. But it is confirmation that both the state statutes and the WASB consider conflict of interest to be a very serious matter. So now, my next step is to contact Mr. King directly and ask him point blank that if Amber Kiggens-Leifheit is an employee of the school district, and the treasurer of the Yes Committee, dose that constitute a conflict of interest? I am sure without hesitation he will say "no" and assume the case is closed.

That is why Marshfield School Watch has also contacted WASB directly. Here is a copy of that email:

Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:06:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Marshfield School Watch"
Subject: conflict of interest
To: reloranta@wasb.org

Mr. Eloranta:

According to the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, among the qualifications and qualities for school board members is the "freedom from conflict with any other interest."

Marshfield is holding elections for our Board of Education on Tuesday, April 1st. One of the candidates on the ballot is an employee of Marshfield School District and an officer (treasurer) of a political action committee called the Yes Committee that was very vocal about passing a recent school budget override referendum.

Many people are asking about possible conflicts of interest if this candidate will remain a school district employee and keep her post on the political action committee, while at the same time serving on a board that will be deciding on another referendum, this time for the building of a new middle school.

I've asked for a copy of the policy manual for our school board, particularly the policies regarding conflict or interest. I have not heard back from our Board of Education office yet.

Does the Wisconsin Association of School Boards have any guidelines regarding conflict of interest? Any information that you can share would be appreciated.

Doug Seubert
Marshfield School Watch

*****

As of today, still no reply. I will try someone higher up than Mr. Eloranta. There is also a National Association of School Boards that we plan to contact, as well as the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.

The good news is, this doesn't have to be decided before the election. There may or may not be a statute of limitations for contesting an election, however. We are still researching that. But I am aware of some cases where elections have been overturned as it were, or declared "null and void" or something to that effect. The point being, there are remedies. They may take time, but they also take perseverance. Marshfield School Watch is determined to get an answer either way. If it is found there is no conflict, great! But if there is, don't we want a Board of Education that follows the law?

Of course there are other outcomes: Kiggens-Leifheit might not get elected, or she might decide to drop out, or she might decide to terminate her employment with the school district while serving on the school board. Either of these options will cause "conflict of interest" to be a non-issue.

I'll continue to post updates on the new Marshfield School Watch web site, as well as on here.

VISIT OUR NEW WEB SITE: http://www.marshfieldschoolwatch.org/

Kiggens-Leifheit -- a conflict of interest?

Amber Kiggens-Leifheit, Marshfield School District employee and treasurer of the school district's Yes Committee (responsible for pushing the recent referendum through) is running for a seat on the school board. But is she even eligible?

According to the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, there are many qualifications and qualities which experienced school board members have indicated are important to school board membership.

Among them is this: Freedom from conflict with any other interest.

Here's a direct quote from WASB's "Guide for Candidates"--

"The code of ethics for local governmental officials prohibits any local public official from using his or her office to obtain financial gain or anything of substantial value for private benefit for himself or herself, or his or her immediate family, or for an organization with which he or she is associated. Further, board members are prohibited by a criminal statute from having private, pecuniary interests, either direct or indirect, in school district contracts of more than $15,000 in any year. Some limited exceptions to this prohibition are enumerated in the Wisconsin statutes (see s.946.13). The state common law also may prohibit school board members from being employed by the school district where they are on the board and may restrict other private activities of board members."

Marshfield School Watch contacted the Marshfield School District to request a copy of the Board of Education's conflict of interest policy. We were provided a copy of Wisconsin statute 946.13 and two pages of "ethics/roles and responsibilities" of school board members. It reads like an oath that all school board members should take. The third item on the list reads, "I must avoid all conflicts of interest, both pecuniary and nonpecuniary." Number six on the list reads, "I am a local legislator, but I must work under state and federal laws."

I second list details what all school board members will strive to do. Number three on this list is "render all decisions based on the available facts and my independent judgment, and refuse to surrender that judgment to individuals or special interest groups." (That would certainly include the Yes Committee!) A similar item on the list says that school board members should "take no private action that will compromise the Board or administration...." This second list also has another statement regarding conflicts of interest. Board members must "avoid being placed in a position of conflict of interest, and refrain from using my Board position for personal or partisan gain."

Amber Kiggens-Leifheit is an employee of the school district, and the treasurer of the Yes Committee. According to the the Wisconsin statutes referenced above, public officials--including school board members--cannot benefit from a contract with the school district that exceed $15,000 a year. As a substitute teacher and director of the student mentor program, how much does Amber Kiggens-Leifheit make each year as an employee of the Marshfield School District? Not only that, but as treasurer of the Yes Committee, one could easily argue that that her actions in that capacity do not meet the Wisconsin Association of School Board's definition of "freedom from conflict with any other interest" or the Marshfield Board of Education's policy of refusing to surrender judgment to individuals or special interest groups.

So, what happens if someone should formally contest Kiggens-Leifheit's eligibility to serve on the board. Does that make the election null and void? Would it therefore remove her from the ballot? That would leave two candidates and two open seats. It's an interesting dilemma, no?

Is Bohon really interested in school funding reform?

Prior to the last school referendum, a budget override of $13.5 million that Marshfield taxpayers are going to start paying with higher property taxes next year, we heard a lot from the school district and their political machine the Yes Committee (Kiggins is their treasurer!) that the real problem with school budgets is the broken funding system in Madison. we were told it's a state issue and Superintendent Bruce King himself said the district will need to keep coming back with more referendums if things don't change.

The revenue caps (i.e. the 'broken funding system") was passed in to legislation 15 years ago.

Frances Bohon has served on the school board for 12 years.

Marshfield School Watch asks the questions: What has Bohon done in the past 12 years to help fix the broken funding system? and What does she plan to do differently if she is elected to another 3 year term.

What is our school district doing to help bring about the needed reforms in school funding? This is the CHANGE that Bruce King says is needed to keep future referendums off the ballot.

What had Bohon done as part of the school board for 12 years besides help pass 3 referendums in the past 4 years that have cost taxpayers over $40 million?

How is voting for her again, keeping the status quo and "business as usual" going to bring about change?

School Board Candidates Finally Get Some Press

Finally, the school board candidates speak! I wasn't sure if the News-Herald was even going to run an article on the candidates.I'm glad to see that "fiscal prudence is a top concern for three candidates."

Click here to read the article: http://www.marshfieldnewsherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/MNH0101/803180371


Frances Bohon has been on the board for 12 years. The revenue caps, also known as "the broken school funding system" according to the yes'ers, was legislation that was passed about 15 years ago. The school district, school board, and the Yes Committee were quick to point their fingers at Madison and say that's where the problem is. So what has Bohon done in the past 12 years to help fix this broken system? We only hear about revenue caps when there is a referendum on the ballot, and my guess is we won't hear about it again until the next referendum. Remember, Superintendent Bruce King said the district will be back with another referendum soon if things don't change in Madison. So what is Bohon going to do during this term that she hasn't done in her previous 4 terms? She says the district needs to strive to do better. 'The board should remain vigilant in looking for cost savings through partnerships and grant money." If she is elected to another term, lets hold her to her words!

Amber Kiggens-Leifheit is an employee of the school district, and the treasurer of the Yes Committee. We already know what she stands for: more referendums and higher property taxes. She'll attend every school board meeting with her rubber YES stamp! She says "Board members need to continuously explore options to save money." But given the tactics of the Yes Committee and the deceptive information they gave to voters, I don't think I can take her on her word. Remember, the yes Committee said the recent referendum would only cost $40 for $100,000 home. That wasn't exactly accurate. It's closer to $126 per year for the next 5 years. That's a lot more than "the price of a cup of coffee a day" as the Yes Committee tried to spin it. They forgot to mention that taxes would have gone down next year. But the referendum raises them back up, plus that additional $40 a year. And don't forget their letter campaign to recent graduates. They mailed out letters and absentee ballot applications to young people who do not live in marshfield or pay taxes here, and told them to vote Yes. The motive and intent was to drown out the voice and choice of Marshfield's taxpayers. And they succeeded! (We asked Amber to provide the details on the Yes Committee's letter campaign, but so far she hasn't come forward). Amber represents the status quo and "business as usual." If you voted NO on the last referendum, or if you don't want to see more referendums on the ballot in the near future, you should not vote for Amber.

Christine Miller is definitely not a rubber YES stamper, and she has some interesting ideas about saving the district money. But she also has other agendas that I don't support. If she did make it to the board (highly unlikely), none of her ideas or plans would ever see the light of day. She'd be a distraction and a roadblock... but she'd make those meetings interesting, and more people would watch them.

So, here are the options: Vote for Bohon and Kiggens-Leifheit if you want the status quo and "business as usual." But for Pete's sake let's hold them accountable and make sure they do what they say they will when it comes to fiscal prudence.

Another option is to not vote for anyone.

A third option is to write in candidates that you think will do a better job at fiscal prudence. As of now, no one has come forward with an official write-in campaign.

In the end, no matter what your choice is, it's clear we need to keep our eyes on the school board. The school funding system is broken on both ends: in Madison and in Marshfield. Let's keep our school board on task and hold them accountable for fiscal prudence, for finding options for saving the school district money without simply relying on referendums that raise property taxes as the only solution.

So Amber, how many letters were sent out?

The following request was made:

"It would be interesting to know how many absentee ballots the MARSHFIELD BOARD of EDUCATION requested on behalf of former students and how many actually lived here in MARSHFIELD for the full last 10 days before the election?"

So, Marshfield School Watch replies:

You raise a good point. Not too many people are aware of what the Yes Committee did to get the referendum to pass. Many tactics were used. You are referring to one that might have been their most underhanded tactic.

On behalf of the school district of Marshfield, the Yes Committee, including school board candidate Amber Kiggens-Leifheit, who served an active leadership role on the Yes Committee, sent out letters to recent graduates of Marshfield High School. The letter told these young people that if they ever participated in any sport, student club, or extra curricular activity that they needed to vote YES on the school referendum. To make things easy, they included absentee ballot applications and postage-paid return envelopes. The majority of these young people live outside of Marshfield, some outside of Wisconsin. None of them pay property taxes in Marshfield.

Requests for "public records" about elections go through the City Clerks office. I contacted her about the absentee ballots for the recent school referendum. Here was her reply:

"There is no way to tell how many were required by the YES Committee and I would not be able to tell you how many of those that voted by an Absentee Ballot either voted yes or no for the School Referendum. All ballots are run through the same ballot counter. I can tell you that we issued 702 absentee ballots and we received 633 of them back in time for the February 19, 2008 primary." (Deb M. Hall, WCPC, City Clerk).

Perhaps the Yes Committee has the information? I asked them to provide it and have received no response from them.

I suggest contacting Amber Kiggens-Leifheit directly. As treasurer of the Yes Committee she should have records of how many letters were sent out. She also works for the school district. Her email is leifheita@marshfield.k12.wi.us or you can reach her by phone at (715) 387-8464 ext. 384.

If the Yes Committee believes this was a good tactic to use, and not an underhanded one, you'd think they'd come clean and tell the community what they did.

Until they are honest with the taxpayers, I cannot support a vote for Amber Kiggens-Leifheit for Marshfield school board.

Who's Running for School Board?

I was at the library tonight and saw the information posted by candidates in the April election. There was a section for school board candidates. I haven't seen anything in the paper about the school board elections, but I could have missed it.

Anyway, I checked out what each candidate posted at the library:

Frances Bohon did not post anything.

Amber Kiggens-Leifheit posted stuff from her website (www.don'tvote4amber.com) and the name kinda sounded familiar to me. Then I realized she was the treasurer of the Yes Committee, and that she works for the school district! So I didn't read any further. We all know that Amber would always vote yes to raise property taxes, and she would offer no change to the current slate of school board members who unanimously voted to put the last referendum on the ballot. Superintendent Bruce King said the district will be back with another referendum if things don't CHANGE. And when he does, we already know Amber will be all for it. Amber represents the status quo and "business as usual"... what we need is CHANGE.

Christine Miller: Christine's information mentioned mistakes that were made by the school board. In particular she mentioned no sidewalks for the new Washington School. She also mentioned the problem of wasteful spending in Madison. She was the only candidate to mention that, and the only one you will ever hear talking about past mistakes made by the school board. You won't hear Frances or Amber admit that mistakes were made. Christine goes on to say that we can't undo these mistakes, but the best we can do is elect people who can keep similar mistakes from happening in the future. Christine also does not support starting a girl's hockey team. She understands that a month ago the district was short on money and threatening to cut sports, and now they want to add more. She supports cooperation within the community, such as a partnership with the community hockey league, that will provide opportunities for youth to participate in sports, but not cost more money to the taxpayer. These are all things I support, and it's refreshing to have a candidate who thinks outside the box. That's exactly the kind of new blood we need on the school board. Now, she did post some letter to the school district about holocaust books in the school libraries. I admit she lost me on that one. I don't agree. But then again, I don't agree 100% with any candidate I vote for. Sometimes it comes down to a compromise and you pick the candidate who you feel will represent you the best. And I think it's high time we had a school board member who represented the interests of the taxpayer. I'm not voting for Christine to become a history teacher. But I'd consider voting for her because she is the only candidate talking about changes needed in Madison, and she is the only candidate talking about solutions that will save the district money, and she is the only candidate that won't rubber stamp the next referendum onto the ballot. We all know it's coming, and sooner than later based on recent news accounts detailing how the district seems to be going on a spending spree.

I'm not sure if there is anything in the newspaper about the candidates or if there will be a candidate forum planned. It would be good for the community to know more about all of the candidates before casting their votes in April.

Girls hockey seeks home at MHS... What's the deal?

See article in the March 11 Marshfield News Herald: http://www.marshfieldnewsherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080311/MNH02/803110663

It was less than a month ago that our school board members, the district administration, and the self-righteous Yes Committee was crying that the district did not have enough money to keep all of the sports programs going. Using scare tactics and emotional appeals, they fooled parents and many gullible recent high school graduates into voting yes on the recent referendum.

Now, not only can we keep all of our sports, but we can add more!

The boys hockey team, according to Marshfield High School athletic director Len Luedtke, costs us $12,000 a year. It will cost at least that much to start up a girl's hockey team.

It appears that the $13.5 million the school district just swindled from marshfield taxpayers (the majority of taxpayers voted NO on the referendum, by the way) will be spent before we know it! And they'll be back with the same sob stories about revenue caps and a "broken funding system".... it's broken alright. But the problem isn't in Madison. It's right here in Marshfield.

If you don't like the way the school district is managing taxpayer dollars, call or write the superintendent and the school board members. Let them know how you feel. Give 'em hell!

Superintendent:

Bruce King
10630 Patton Drive
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 676-2831


School Board President:

David Meissner
N5901 Hiline Avenue
Chili, WI 54420
(715) 676-2855


School Board Members:

Frances Bohon
1011 West State Street
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 384-4656

Timothy Deets
M604 Gilead Court
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 387-4611

Harry Dolan
904 N. Schmidt Avenue
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 384-2871

Graham Olson
708 S. Felker Aveneu
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 384-9318

Carol Phillips
1410 Broadway
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 387-3972

Stephen Schulte
M220 Sugarbush Lane
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 387-3050

By the way, the terms for Bohon and Schulte expire this year. We need to vote in new school board members. If Christine Miller's on the ballot, vote for her! She may be crazy, but she'll keep a tighter grip on the purse strings!

Marshfield High School is NOT one of the Nation's Best!

US News and World Report released their "Best Schools of 2008" report last November. Each year, they analyze data from thousands of schools to produce the list of the nation's best.

Marshfield School Watch searched through this year's report. Many area schools were listed, but Marshfield High School didn't make the grade!

Here's a listing of some of the local schools that are among the nation's best:

Clark County

Abbotsford Junior/Senior High
Clark County, Abbotsford, WI

Granton High
Clark County, Granton, WI

Greenwood High
Clark County, Greenwood, WI

Loyal High
Clark County, Loyal, WI

Thorp High
Clark County, Thorp, WI


Marathon County

West High
Marathon County, Wausau, WI


Wood County

Auburndale High
Wood County, Auburndale, WI

Pittsville High
Wood County, Pittsville, WI


Will Marshfield make it next year, now that they have $13.5 million more dollars to spend? Maybe the pool, or the overtime for custodians, or the raises for the administrators that were part of the referendum will help us become one of the nation's best high schools!

View the US News and World Report "2008 Best High Schools" report at:
http://www.usnews.com/sections/education/high-schools

Referendum had No Impact on Open Enrollment

An article, "School numbers steady" was published in the March 10 Marshfield News Herald. (Click link to read article: http://www.marshfieldnewsherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080310/MNH0101/803100498).


So, Mr. King finally comes clean. The recent referendum, he now admits, had no impact on open enrollment.

Shoot, many NO voters knew that it wouldn't and we said as much. But all the yes'ers were so sure that by not passing the referendum there would surely be a mass exodus of students from the Marshfield School district if any cuts were made. Auburndale's referendum failed, and they saw the biggest increase in open enrollments among area schools. Go figure?

I guess the whole hype over open enrollments was another scare tactic.

The yes'ers even said that passing the referendum would cause a huge influx in new students through open enrollment. That didn't happen. So I guess that was just another misleading "fact" they used to push the referendum through.

Someone asked who pays for the ads and billboards that Marshfield puts up. The answer... taxpayers! Hardly seems worth it, considering the numbers. Some of the area schools that chose not to advertise seem to think they have higher priorities to spend money on.

The referendum may be over, and the Yes Committee may be back in hiding, and I'm sure all the yes'ers would wish we'd just forget about all this and move on.

But the Marshfield School Watch group is going to stay on top of our districts open enrollment numbers and also tract many other statistics over the next 5 years. Let's just see if the $13.5 million will have the positive impact on our district that the yes'ers claimed it would.

Should we demand better planning and management from our school board and administration?

There was a follow up on the discussions between the Wisconsin Rapids, Port Edwards, and Nekoosa school districts in the March 4 Marshfield News Herald (see full text below).

It's great to see school boards that are willing to discuss and explore options for saving money. I particularly like this quote: "Do we want to continue down the same path, or do we want to come together and dream about what could happen off that track?" Bechard (Nekoosa School Board President) said. "We need to be an educational lighthouse ... but we can't do that if we stay in the limited confines of the traditional track."

Marshfield seems to prefer to stay on that traditional track. Raise property taxes, spend more than we have, and when that money runs out, come back begging for more.

We all should be taking a close look at what other school districts are doing to SAVE (not spend) money, and then hold our school board and administration accountable for coming up with options, choices and alternatives instead of just offering referendum after referendum after referendum. After all, Mr. King said he'll be back with another referendum soon.

We should demand better planning and management.

--------------------------------------------------------

HERE'S THE FULL TEXT OF THE ARTICLE:

Rapids school districts work on collaboration

By Adam Wise
For the Marshfield News-Herald

PORT EDWARDS -- While three local school districts deal with state financial restrictions, two just might have to fight an elephant, as well.


The Wisconsin Rapids, Port Edwards and Nekoosa school boards voted Monday evening to continue discussions about increasing program and service collaboration in the coming years.


On numerous occasions, the metaphorical elephant in the room was mentioned as a possible barrier blocking teamwork. The historically rocky relationship between Port Edwards and Nekoosa school district residents was acknowledged by many Monday, while some at the meeting discounted it as an outdated sentiment.


"We all know there are some elephants in the room and historical perspectives," said Nekoosa School Board President Steve Bechard, adding that future meetings and serious talks about change will require perseverance.


As a result of declining enrollments and state-imposed revenue caps on public school districts, the three boards consider it necessary to further cooperate to save costs. The large group discussions were facilitated by Irma Tyler-Wood of Indianapolis-based Ki Thoughtbridge.


Specific action items were not pursued, but residents did break into small group discussions with their elected representatives to brainstorm available opportunities and to talk about fears they have about possible changes.


Although some might have wished to see an expedited process, the next step will involve the school boards discussing ideas and opportunities during April meetings, with another gathering of the three board presidents tentatively scheduled for May. It was a meeting of the three on Feb. 1 that initially set the foundation for Monday's gathering.


"It's kind of like shaking off the proverbial rust," Port Edwards School Board member Dana Duncan said of the meeting. "I think there's a pride in what we have and a concern for the future. It's not a matter of throwing in the towel; it's how will we fix it now, and what's the best way?"


Portions of the three school districts already collaborate on certain services including special education, athletics and 4-year-old kindergarten.


During the Port Edwards small group discussion, some residents admitted concerns of school closures, teacher retention and changes to curriculum if the three districts joined forces.


Bechard compared the current situation of public school funding and the restrictions it places on school districts to when the railroad ultimately was replaced as a popular mode of transportation by the automobile; residents must see the need to change with the times.


"Do we want to continue down the same path, or do we want to come together and dream about what could happen off that track?" Bechard said. "We need to be an educational lighthouse ... but we can't do that if we stay in the limited confines of the traditional track."


Greg Swank of the Wisconsin Rapids School Board said baby steps are important to the success of the group.


"The steps we need to take into the future don't have to be great leaps," he said. "We don't have to come up with a list of goals we are striving for by April. I'm more in favor of slowing down a bit. ... I don't see the expediency."

Menasha vs. Marshfield: Who has the better ideas?

The Menasha school district is finding itself in a similar position that Marshfield was in prior to the recent referendum. Reading this article (full text posted below) is like deja vous all over again!

Many of the ideas being discussed in Menasha are ones that were brought up by Marshfield's NO Committee. The Marshfield School District offered no response to the questions and ideas that were raised. Several Yes'ers, on the other hand, aggressively attacked any ideas for compromise or alternative plans.

The No Committee took a stand that there were several cuts that could be made at the administrative and operational level, and advocated keeping the current tax rate (in other words, extending the 2003 referendum that was expiring). This would have resulted in NO PROPERTY TAX INCREASE for Marshfield, while at the same time continuing to bring in over $1 million dollars above and beyond the revenue cap. This would have been more than enough to keep EVERY student program, sport, club, organization, and class from the cutting block, with exception of the swim team if the pool was closed down.

Menasha is discussing the idea of closing their pool at the high school: "The Menasha High School swimming pool survived the first round of budget cut recommendations from district administrators but may face more scrutiny from the school board March 10. Some parents and school board members have questioned the cost of continuing to maintain the old pool, which is no longer used for any physical education classes. "We are still looking at the cost savings, if any, in closing the swimming pool," said Supt. Keith Fuchs. An initial review found a half-time custodian position savings but other costs have not yet been identified. "We're spending a lot of money to keep that pool open for very few people," said resident Chris Bordeaux.

SOUND FAMILIAR? Closing the pool at Marshfield High School would save $120,000 per year. When the NO Committee asked why this wasn't receiving more scrutiny from the school board, the Yes'ers attacked in full force. Elementary students (children of a Yes Committee member) were shown on the local news saying "I always hoped I could letter in swimming when I got to high school." How could anyone beat that type of emotional appeal?

Another thing Menasha is considering is raising athletic participation fees. THIS WAS AN OPTION FOR MARSHFIELD, too! Raising the fee by just $10 and also raising the parking fee would have, according to the school board's budget, raised at least $26,000 of new income for the school district each year. Again, when the NO Committee suggested that the school board vote to raise the fees anyway, the Yes'ers came forth with the argument "some families may not be able to pay that extra $10 for their child to participate in a sport!" Yet raising property taxes by an average of $80 a year for all Marshfield families wasn't a concern.

I hope Marshfield takes a serious look at what other school districts are doing to save money. We need to continue to hold our school board and administration accountable for coming up with alternatives and options. For now, it appears their only plan is to spend the $13.5 million we just voted to give them, and when that runs out, come back to the taxpayers with more scare tactics and emotional appeals.

It seems like Menasha is able to not let the emotions drown out all common sense. When will Marshfield be able to do that?

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HERE'S THE FULL TEXT OF THE ARTICLE:

Menasha school budget changes wanted
Board ponders input on proposed cuts

By Michael King
Post-Crescent staff writer

MENASHA — Chris Bordeaux knows the Menasha Joint School District needs to cut $1.5 million to make next year's school budget balance.

However, he thinks there are better places to save than by cutting the high school boys' and girls' track programs.

Several parents of students at Nicolet Elementary feel the same way about a proposed phase-out of Spanish at the school in favor of students learning German instead. Ditto for a paraprofessional who works in the high school library-media center slated for staffing cuts.

Comments made at last week's Board of Education meeting about proposed reductions for 2008-09 were taken under advisement by board members who meet again March 10 to discuss the budget shortfall.

In a move that saves roughly $450,000, the board adopted a staffing plan for next year that trims 7.2 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions from the current year staffing without the need to issue any layoff notices.

Bordeaux and his daughter, Hannah, a junior who participates in track, lobbied for the board to retain track through a combination of higher participation fees in all sports and additional booster club support. She said for many track participants "it's their only sport."

More than half ($34,500) of the proposed $66,550 cocurricular reductions came from elimination of track. Cutting junior varsity tennis for boys and girls would save another $4,500.

Chris Bordeaux said that it costs the district more to operate the high school swimming pool than to run the track program. Plus, the students get more benefit from track, which had 39 students last spring, than the pool, which is no longer used for any physical education classes.

The pool gets most of its use from open swim times and by community groups.

Chris Bordeaux said sports are part of producing well-rounded student-athletes who also learn the value of teamwork and networking.

"There's a required GPA you need to uphold while you're in sports," Hannah said.

Chris Bordeaux believes it is only fair to spread the need for cost savings around to all sports. That would enable track boosters and parents to raise funds to keep the sport going.

"We are looking at the whole picture," said Sue Gielau, the board president. Noting that "we need to get to $1.5 million" in reductions, she added, "How we get there is still under discussion and debate by the board."

District administrators had proposed a 0.4-FTE reduction at Gegan School to eliminate German being taught to bilingual Spanish-English students. Board members opted to then phase in German at Nicolet School, where Spanish is taught, starting with kindergartners next year.

Supt. Keith Fuchs said that eliminates any staffing savings, so the board "needs to revisit that" from an academic perspective.

"I just think Spanish is the more important and beneficial language for the kids right now," said Rene Briones, a district resident. She recalled taking Spanish starting in sixth grade years ago and believes her two older children have benefited greatly from having started a foreign language in kindergarten.

Darlene Rogers, a longtime paraprofessional, cautioned against the proposed cutback of parapros that would seriously affect school library staffing. "It's a shame," she said. "They're impacting every student when they cut back on the library."

Fuchs said next Monday's meeting "will provide the board with an opportunity to revisit the budget deficit plan to see if there areas that want to further discuss and reconsider."

The board last week also approved retirement requests from four teachers, one principal and one administrative assistant for next year. Gegan Principal Rocco D'Amelio, who has held various positions in the district for 13 years, will retire in June.

Michael King: 920-729-6622, ext. 33, or mking@postcrescent.com

Here's a good idea!

ATTENTION MARSHFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT!

Here's a good example of an alternative to referendum after referendum, after referendum.

Did you see this article in the Marshfield News Herald, Monday March 3, under the headline "School districts to merge ideas"? (The full text of the article is copied below, in case you missed it).

The ideas of collaboration and consolidation were brought up by an audience member at one of the school district's presentation on the referendum. Mr. King said it was something that some area school districts have looked into, but admitted that it was a difficult road to travel.

When it was brought up by the NO Committee, several yes'ers jumped on us and said it was a bad idea.

Yet here we have an example of three area school districts who are at least willing to meet together and talk about it. I really like the quote from one of the school board members: "I think there are lots of things I, or other board members, haven't thought of that will be brought up."

Other noteworthy quotes include: "It shows our school board and other public organizations try to work in the most transparent way possible," and "I would anticipate some discussion or public inquiry, in terms of what the pros and cons are, of not just collaboration and cooperation, but perhaps consolidation of the total schools or parts of schools," and "it will be a very worthwhile discussion," and "the whole idea of the caucus is to get that breath of fresh air."

So what can the Marshfield school district learn from this?

If not "consolidation" (total schools or parts of schools), what about COLLABORATION and COOPERATION with other school districts? What are the possibilities? Is our school board even willing to hold a similar "caucus" with other schools in our immediate area? Is it possible new ideas could be brought up that our school board and administrators haven't though of on their own?

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HERE'S THE FULL ARTICLE:

School districts to merge ideas
By Adam Wise
For the Marshfield News-Herald

PORT EDWARDS -- The first major step of three local school districts' plans to study opportunities for collaboration will take place today.

The school boards of the Wisconsin Rapids, Port Edwards and Nekoosa school districts will meet with members of the public to discuss ways to combine services to save the districts money.

Irma Tyler-Wood of Indianapolis-based Ki Thoughtbridge will facilitate discussion.

"I'm excited about it, (and) we've collaborated on several different levels over the past several years," said Sheldon Ferkey of the Port Edwards School Board. "This provides a formal process for that."

Joint efforts taking place between some of the districts include athletic clubs and 4-year-old kindergarten.

"I know most of the board members from Nekoosa and (Wisconsin) Rapids, but it's nice to have a sit-down and get to know everybody," Ferkey said.

Sandy Hett, president of the Wisconsin Rapids School Board, met with the other presidents Feb. 1 to establish communication and talk about the concept of the meeting. She's looking forward to the discussion expected to take place.

"I think there are lots of things I, or other board members, haven't thought of that will be brought up," she said. "I have no idea how it's going to turn out."

At about 8:45 p.m., the three boards will break off with their constituents into small groups to develop ideas. Ferkey said he hopes for a large public turnout for the discussions to truly be fruitful.

"It shows our school board and other public organizations try to work in the most transparent way possible," Ferkey said of the community involvement. "I would anticipate some discussion or public inquiry, in terms of what the pros and cons are, of not just collaboration and cooperation, but perhaps consolidation of the total schools or parts of schools.

"The whole idea of the caucus is to get that breath of fresh air."

While he's unsure of the final product and doesn't think decisions will be made, Ferkey expects the meeting to be the first of several among the governing bodies.

"It will be a very worthwhile discussion," he said.