Antigo board narrows fundraising deadline, keeps Clara R. McKenna Aquatic Center open under conditions

The Unified School District of Antigo school board voted 8-1 on June 22 to keep the Clara R. McKenna Aquatic Center open for now, adopting a resolution that outsources general operations to the Woodson YMCA and sets short-term fundraising conditions to prevent an immediate deficit. The resolution directs administration to execute the proposed outsourcing contract, requires the district to receive $75,000 by June 30, 2026, and requires an additional $100,000 by July 1, 2026; if those thresholds are not met, the pool's operations must cease until further notice.

The action followed more than two hours of debate and a failed attempt to rescind a March 18, 2026 board motion that had limited pool operations spending to fund 80. Board legal counsel Davis told members that "fund 10 can be used for the operations of the pool so long as the operations are not part of the community program" and warned that using fund 10 for community programs would be an ineligible expense with "serious financial consequences." He summarized the legal line as: "You cannot use fund 10 to carry out a community program or service, which would be a fund 80 expenditure. If you do this, you are setting yourselves up for serious financial consequences and also knowingly doing so." (Davis)

Board member Jean moved to rescind the March 18 action, arguing the board had been asked to act without enough time and that she saw "no evidence of having to make this sudden change in what we've been doing for so long." The rescission motion failed 3-5. The board then considered the drafted resolution to keep the pool open and voted on two amendments: one to remove a clause allowing the district to solicit and consider offers to purchase the pool, which the board retained or removed depending on the amendment outcome (the board ultimately struck the solicitation-for-purchase clause), and a second amendment that reduced the originally requested $250,000 July 1 fundraising target to $100,000 to provide more runway for community donors. That revision passed 7-2.

District administration and the business director told the board the aquatic center fund (fund 80) had been operating at a deficit this year and that correcting accounting codes uncovered larger shortfalls than previously reported. Kelly Fosbinder, the director of business services, gave a starting fund balance figure for fund 80 of roughly $123,764.28 and said the fund balance was now depleted as expenditures are reallocated to the correct funds. Counsel explained that $75,000 would return fund 80 to a non-deficit position for fiscal year 2025-26; the additional $100,000 was intended as a short-term bridge until tax-levy revenues could be collected later in the fiscal year.

The resolution also directs administration to consider prior levy options and to accept offers to sell the facility only as previously included language allowed; after amendment the district removed broad language that would have required actively soliciting purchase offers. Several board members said they preferred to keep all options open so the district could consider a private or nonprofit purchase if one emerged; others said keeping the clause could reduce urgency and accountability for community supporters.

Board members and administration emphasized the operational staffing problem: fund 80 needs a dedicated, paid liaison to manage daily operations, oversight, and vendor relationships. Administrators and counsel warned that month-to-month ad hoc arrangements are unfair to operating partners such as the YMCA and to staff who depend on stable employment. The board directed its finance committee to monitor fund 80 monthly and to engage with the Antigo pool foundation and donors to track revenues and expenditures.

The resolution passed 8-1. The board took a brief recess after the vote and then continued with the rest of its agenda. The finance committee will receive monthly status reports and administration was directed to implement the outsourcing agreement with the Woodson YMCA and to report back if fundraising targets are not met.

What the resolution requires - Execute a contract outsourcing general operations to the Woodson YMCA. - Receive $75,000 by June 30, 2026, to avoid a 2025-26 fund 80 deficit. - Receive an additional $100,000 by July 1, 2026, to operate in a cash-flow positive manner into 2026-27; if those funds are not received, the pool will cease operations and the YMCA contract will be terminated.

Context and next steps Fund 80 is the district's community-program account. Counsel and administration told the board that using general-education fund 10 for community programming is restricted; fund 10 can pay for student-focused uses of the facility (for example, renting pool time for physical education) but cannot legally subsidize a community swim program or staff supervising community swim times. The board asked the finance committee to coordinate monthly updates with the foundation and donors and to return to the board with staffing and contract recommendations.

The board did not adopt a permanent funding solution at the meeting; the resolution is structured as a short-term bridge intended to keep the pool open while the board, administration and community pursue a longer-term plan.