Antigo board reasserts control of McKenna Aquatic Center, limits operations to Fund 80

The Unified School District of Antigo Board of Education voted in a special meeting to reassert direct control of the Clara McKenna Aquatic Center and to require that only Fund 80 be used to pay for the facility's operations and maintenance going forward.

The action came after Director of Business Services Kelly Fassbender told the board the aquatic center was operating at a material deficit and that multiple categories of costs historically charged to the district general fund (Fund 10) ought to be allocated to Fund 80, a community-service fund. "The aquatic center is operating at a deficit," Fassbender said, and she told the board the true shortfall is at least $90,949 once certain grant and cost allocations are corrected.

Director of Building and Grounds Jake Leiderman described deferred maintenance he estimates at about $125,000, including safety-related work such as the slide restoration and a malfunctioning front door operator. Leiderman said a private donor has offered roughly $90,000 to pay for a subset of those repairs if the district accepts conditions tied to that gift. "There is a significant amount of money that's being offered to help with this," Leiderman said, while warning that without a maintenance presence the facility's systems could fail quickly.

Board members also summarized guidance from Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Counsel and administrators said DPI advised that when a district-owned building's primary use is a community service program, operational costs must generally come from Fund 80; using Fund 10 or capital funds (for example, Fund 46) to subsidize community operations is not permitted. Legal counsel told the board it could not advise continuing to use Fund 10 for pool operations because doing so would risk misappropriation of public funds.

Faced with a mix of operational risk and limited Fund 80 balance (staff described roughly $150,000 remaining in that fund), board members discussed options including a special referendum or levy increase, creating an endowment, converting the pool to an independent nonprofit (which would remove access to Fund 80 tax dollars), contracting outside maintenance, temporarily limiting district use to make the building an education-only facility, or closing and winterizing the pool. Several trustees said none of the options were attractive but emphasized legal and fiscal obligations.

Board member Angie Schreiber moved that the board "reassert full control and oversight over the McKenna Aquatic Center" and require that all records related to the pool's past operations be turned over to the board clerk. That motion carried.

Later the board, following legal counsel's recommendation, approved a motion that "only Fund 80 will be used for the operations and maintenance of the aquatic center, and all other funds be utilized in a manner consistent with the law." The motion was amended to direct administration to work with legal counsel to develop a plan for continued operation and maintenance that complies with DPI rules. The final motion passed with one board member voting no.

The board set a near-term next step: a buildings-and-grounds committee meeting to meet quickly and work with pool stakeholders on options, with an update to be placed on the next regular board agenda. Members emphasized the urgency of formalizing a compliant staffing and contracting plan to avoid damage to the facility while the policy and funding questions are resolved.

The board's actions do not themselves authorize a particular source of replacement funding; they require administration and legal counsel to draft a plan that identifies how maintenance and operations will be paid from Fund 80 or other lawful sources, and to clarify staffing or contract arrangements. The committee is expected to review bids or contract options and report back at the regular board meeting.