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Shell Lake superintendent asks voters to approve April referendum, cites state funding shortfalls
Summary
Shell Lake School District Superintendent Todd Felhofer told the City Council the district will seek a referendum in April to address rising costs and chronic underfunding, including special education pressures; the proposed change would raise the mill rate by about $0.07 per $1,000.
Superintendent Todd Felhofer told the Shell Lake City Council on March 9 that the School District of Shell Lake will place a referendum before voters in April to shore up operating revenue and relieve pressure on the general fund.
Felhofer said the district has made local cuts and sought savings but still faces funding gaps. "Costs continue to rise, as with any where else, but the state funding we receive stays stagnant. Shell Lake School District resides in the bottom 5% for funding per pupil in the state," Felhofer said, adding that underfunding of special education "continues to add a great deal of stress to [the] school's general fund." He told the council the district reduced the referendum amount from last year after making cuts and increasing health-insurance deductibles.
The superintendent said the proposed levy change would raise the mill rate by about $0.07 per $1,000 and stated, "We know this will not pay for the $2,600,000.00 we will be receiving. By restructuring our debt, we hope to minimize the impact to the tax payor." Jake Anderson, a school board member who spoke to the council, noted athletic-field improvements were funded by volunteers and local fundraising and said, "The board will do what it can to keep the mill rate as level as possible." Felhofer introduced board members Nicole Tims, Jake Anderson, Scott Smith and Bethany Deneen who were in attendance.
Why it matters: Felhofer framed the referendum as a local response to long-term state funding levels that the district says leave it in the bottom 5% for per-pupil funding. The district is asking residents to consider the measure in the April election and is holding a community information meeting on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. at Shell Lake High School.
Next steps: The district will present the referendum to voters in April; the superintendent encouraged community attendance at the March 11 information session for details and questions.
