Cuba City board weighs referendum to restore staff, services and benefits amid growth

The Cuba City School District board met Monday to review last year’s staffing and program cuts and to discuss whether to ask voters for an operating referendum in April to restore those services.

Administrators told the board the district faces a recurring funding challenge: about 70% of each dollar goes to salaries and benefits, and projected shortfalls require the board to choose between a recurring referendum that increases the district’s revenue base or a nonrecurring ask that would temporarily bridge gaps. Moderator (speaker 2) framed the choice as one between long-term stability and shorter-term voter comfort, noting the district’s rapid residential and commercial growth in Keeler and Dickieville but cautioning that tax-increment financing (TID) delays some new value from immediately benefiting district tax revenues.

Heather (speaker 1), who outlined compensation and benefits modeling, said the district pays roughly $1,500,000 for health insurance and that switching to self-insurance saved about $300,000 this year; administrators are budgeting a 15% increase for next year. She presented salary-increase scenarios and the board agreed to ask administrators to model a range of pay increases (the board discussed 1.5%–3.5% as a plausible band) when preparing referendum dollar amounts.

Board and staff reviewed a line-by-line list of cuts from last April that the board may restore through a referendum. Key items discussed included: - Suspension of district-paid portions of dual-credit and off-site programs (projected savings ~$30,000), with Chris (speaker 9) describing earlier online-program costs and the loss of district-paid dual-credit support. - Technology hardware reductions (normal tech budget ~ $125,000; this year ~ $95,000), which leave classrooms vulnerable if clear touch panels or staff laptops fail. - Curriculum purchasing delays tied to the district’s seven-year curriculum cycle, producing a projected catch-up need of about $100,000 to avoid compounding future costs. - Reductions in department budgets (~$50,000) and teacher supply budgets (reported ~$38,000), with staff and PTOs covering some classroom needs. - Cuts to special education staffing (about 2.5 FTEs eliminated) and the on-site alternative placement (Win Academy), which administrators said have led to increased classroom behavior incidents and more seclusions and restraints as services were mainstreamed.

Whitney (speaker 3), the district’s math/reading intervention specialist, warned that fewer intervention staff would leave some students without required support under state testing guidelines. “If we’re not going to fill this position, we can’t expect the gap to get smaller,” she said, noting student counts for early-intervention screening that show multiple students falling at or below the 25th percentile and needing personalized reading plans.

Board members pressed administrators for prioritization and alternatives. Suggestions for reducing costs or raising revenue included modestly higher registration fees, charging for after-hours child care (Cuba Care), shifting 4K to a half-day model with paid afternoons, sharing specialist positions with neighboring districts, and evaluating a four-day week to save transportation costs. Administrators and board members agreed to return with dollar estimates for any option the board wants considered.

Board members repeatedly emphasized the need for clear, public communication. Moderator (speaker 2) said open livestreamed discussions and detailed line-item explanations would help voters see exactly where each dollar would go if the district asks to exceed revenue limits. The board set follow-up meetings (the next was scheduled for Wednesday the eighth) to turn discussion items into action items and, where appropriate, motions and votes. The moderator reminded members the deadline to submit final referendum language was Jan. 21 and that April 1 is the only realistic election to run this year.

No final referendum decision was made at the meeting. The board made a motion to adjourn, which passed.