News Republic

About two dozen Baraboo area taxpayers gathered at the Chamber of Commerce in West Baraboo Tuesday night to present their concerns about the Baraboo School District, voicing a need for more trust in the district and a "top-down" approach to fixing the district’s budget problems.

Board member Sean McNevin, who called the listening session last week, said he had done so just as one board member out of seven, as a feedback option for taxpayers other than board meetings and personal communication.

"The board functions at board meetings," he said. "This is just one method of communicating and listening ... not all forums are optimal for everyone."

The majority of the discussion centered on how to fix the district’s budget problems, including the $500,000 bite taken out of the savings account this year, while still ensuring quality education for students.

With about 84 percent of the district’s tied up in wages and benefits, McNevin told the participants, any solution would probably rest in "across the board" cuts in that area.

Baraboo resident Sharon Terry said the district had become "top heavy," and it would be necessary to cut administrators.

Most of the attendees agreed, including a sub for the district, who asked not to be named. She suggested a "creative" look at administrative pay cuts, combining positions, or even sharing across districts.

"If you want to start building trust, look at cutting the top," she said.

A Baraboo businesswoman,who has adult children working in the district, said she, too, favored a top-down approach to cuts.

"In recent years we’ve seen cuts to the librarians, media specialists, gifted and talent staff," she said. "It’s the children who are suffering."

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gene Dalhoff said the district might also benefit from posting an itemized "wish list" of specific donations — like calculators, musical instruments or microscopes — that local business or individuals could help with.

"People like giving things that they feel strongly about, rather than taxes," he said. "It makes you feel good."

The attendees and McNevin acknowledged a serious lack of trust between the district and the taxpayers, beginning about five years ago with several capital improvement referenda but continuing through the controversial birth of the 4-year-old kindergarten program this year and the property tax hike the board passed last month following $1 million in lost funds from the state.

"We have reached a tipping point with the taxpayers," McNevin said. "There just seems to be a huge disconnect between the board and the district.

"We’re going to figure it out and start to rebuild some of that trust."

Between suggestions for sources of budget cuts in the coming years, meeting attendees did have kind words for Baraboo schools.

"We love the school district ... but sometimes, like with your kids, you’ve got to tell them sorry, we can’t do that now, maybe we can do it down the road," Baraboo resident John Meegan said.

"We just want a good education for our kids," Terry said.

"But at a reasonable cost," businessman Jeff Stout added.

McNevin said he would be returning to the rest of the school board with "several ideas."

"I have a better appreciation of the level of frustration out there," he said. "I continue to find people are very supportive of the school district.

They just want all resources to be allocated wisely."