December 7, 2010 Work Session

Approved at 12/14/2010 Board Meeting

Board Work Session
Central Administrative Offices Board Room
December 7, 2010

Present: Allgaier, Gehl, Jones, Lambert, Wartman, Wilson, and Ziegler
Also: Brightman, Depka, Gibson, and Hedstrom

President Tom Gehl called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. Public notice of the meeting was provided in accordance with Chapter 19.85 Wis. Stats. Motion by Jean Lambert to approve the revised November 7, 2010 agenda moving Discuss Range of Financial Planning Scenarios and Projected Decision Making Timeline for Open Enrollment, 4K and School Closing Status for 2011-2012 to immediate follow Discuss themes from Chats and Community Pulse Survey that was agenda item #1. Seconded by Glen Allgaier and carried on a voice vote.

Audience Input: No request to speak.

Tom Gehl reported that the Board of Education developed a five year "rolling" budget forecast last year that showed approximately $16.2 million gap between revenues and expenditures over five years. At the end of 2009, the Board discussed a team that would become the Enrollment Management Study Team, comprised of District resident to include resident parents from each elementary school. The team worked for 21 weeks. The meetings were videotaped for delayed broadcast (videotapes are available for viewing). The team recommendation was presented to the Board of Education on July 13 and work sessions on July 20, August 11, and November 1.

Updates Since November 23, 2010 Board Meeting:

• Matt Gibson reported that the Hillside census information will be presented by Hillside parent Ben Fong on December 14.
• Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Keith Brightman, Board Member Glen Allgaier, and district resident Bruce Nattinger spoke with Applied Population Laboratory (APL) to communicate methodology expectations for the ten-year enrollment projection requests approved in concept by the Board on November 23. APL responded with capacity to meet the expectations to complete the projections without 2010 census data and then refresh in spring when the 2010 census data becomes available (it is anticipated that projections would be received in January).
• Eileen Depka will aggregate available non-standardized data on current second grade students who were and were not part of the 4K pilot and could provide a report to the Board as soon as December 14

Themes from Chats and Community Pulse Survey: Matt Gibson reported that the September Superintendent chats showed agreement in rank order for 1) Implementing 4K in 2011-2012 (90%), 2) Increasing Open Enrollment to reach 18% by 2014-2015 (76%), 3) Convert Chapter 220 to Open enrollment starting in 2011-2012 (63%), 4) Increase class size guidelines and class sizes by one in 2013-2014 (58%), and 5) Close one elementary school in 2012-2013 yet preserve the high school feeder system (24%). The November Election day community pulse surveys showed agreement in rank order for 1) Implementing 4K (60%), 2) Add non-resident enrollment (33%), and 3) Close an elementary school (29%).

Discuss Range of Financial Planning Scenarios and Projected Decision Making Timeline for Open Enrollment, 4K and School Closing Status for 2011-2012: Keith Brightman reported on the two recommendations from the Enrollment Management Study Team (EMST). They include:

• Option 4
  • Implement 4K in 2011-2012
  • Conversion of Chapter 220 to Open Enrollment in 2011-2012
  • Increase Class Guidelines and Increase Class Size by one in 2013-2014
  • Increase Open Enrollment to reach 18% of Total Enrollment by 2014-2015
• Option 5
  • Implement 4K in 2011-2012
  • Conversion of Chapter 220 to Open Enrollment in 2011-2012
  • Increase Class Guidelines and Increase Class Size by one in 2013-2014
  • Increase Open Enrollment to reach 18% of Total Enrollment by 2014-2015
  • Close one elementary school in 2012-2013

Mr. Brightman reported on financial planning comparison for each component of the Enrollment Management Study Team (EMST) recommendations and provided an explanation of five scenarios developed by the Finance and Operations Committee for option 4, option 5, and three new scenarios to reflect a different way to deploy Option 5. The differences of the three new scenarios were the adjustment to salary and benefit increases (1.7% increase, a true salary freeze, and a 4% increase).

The Board discussed the component of each option:

• Conversion of Chapter 220 to Open Enrollment in 2011-2012: Tom Gehl reported that the Board of Education made the decision on October 26 to guarantee current Chapter 220 students continued access to District schools through the Chapter 220 program without the requirement to reapply at the established exit grade levels in 2011-2012.
• Increase Open Enrollment to reach 18% of Total Enrollment By 2014-2015: Discussion included a concern about increased class size by adding open enrollment to keep the six elementary schools open, concern about lowered property values with the addition of the larger number of open enrollment students, the value open enrollment students/families add to the District, WKCE testing results that do not show a significant difference between resident and open enrollment students at this time but the concern that adding more students may cause a greater difference in the future, with an explanation that a sending district can be asked to pay special education costs beyond the amount allowed by the State a historical number of students who returned to their sending district was requested, concern expressed about staff capacity to administer the program if increased number of students are accepted, concern that adding open enrollment students "on the margin" will disappear when increasing open enrollment to 18%, request for the true cost of the open enrollment program, and concern that the current trend of open enrollment applications may not continue.
• Class Size Guidelines: Discussion included the probability that class size will increase in either option, class size could be used to balance the budget, there is a need to manage class sizes, would like the Board to discuss class size guidelines and then inform families why there may be a need for larger class sizes, larger class sizes could assist with gaining efficiencies at the high school level, request for the District enrollment history, and would like information from elementary principals concerning accommodating students in the cafeteria during lunchtime.
• Four Year Old Kindergarten: The Board discussed both the positive and negative aspects expressed by District residents for 4K, if 4K is reinstituted there may be less ability to gain approval of an operational override in the future, gives the District a more competitive edge with families of young children who are looking for a community that offers 4K, if the new State administration could decide to eliminate funding for 4K, and staffing costs will rise if 4K is added--therefore address salary/benefit concerns before adding 4K.
• School Closing in 2012-2013: Board discussion included all Board members stating an elementary school will not be closing for the 2011-2012 school year, the Board should determine criteria for school closing prior to a making a decision, could of changes in bargaining process at the State level preclude a school closing, a referendum question would be a funding question on the public purpose of paying for a specific amount of money for a particular length of time, capital costs of maintaining a closed building, preference for broader consideration of schools to include Burleigh and Swanson, and possibly setting up additional work sessions.

Audience Input: Seven audience members addressed the Board to encourage adding 4K, providing second grade benchmark data for students attending one Hillside classroom, concern about larger elementary schools becoming too large, the Board should consider asking residents who have become involved during these deliberations to become part of task forces on enrollment, finance, and legislative advocacy, adding open enrollment students as an option rather than closing a school, and suggest selling property the District is not currently using.

Motion by Bob Ziegler to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Glen Allgaier and carried on a voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 9:53 p.m.

/s/Thomas D. Gehl, President