Dodgeville District Administrator Ryan Bohnsack has been school board and the residents of the school district have all the information possible on the proposed referendum.
He talked about the referendum at last Wednesday’s rescheduled board meeting. Voters will decide at the April election if they will allow a three year $2.5 million operational referendum to be put in force. This will be the third time the district has been asked to pass an operational referendum.
With the unsuccessful requests the board has had to do some cutting and reassigning. One of the reassignments has been adding the duties of business manager onto Bohnsack’s responsibilities.
Bohnsack presented two documents that emphasized what he told the board and what information is readily available.
Why Many Wisconsin Schools Are Going to Referendum
Many communities across Wisconsin are seeing school districts bring operational referendums to voters. Since 2021, 257 operational referendums have been approved across the state. The reason is tied largely to how schools are funded in Wisconsin.
School districts operate under state-imposed revenue limits that determine how much funding they can receive through a combination of state aid and local property taxes. While costs such as wages, utilities, transportation, and supplies continue to rise, revenue limits often increase at a slower rate.
Over time, this creates a gap between what districts are allowed to receive in revenue and the actual cost of operating schools.
Districts across Wisconsin are addressing this challenge in different ways, including budget reductions, restructuring programs, and, in some cases, seeking support from their communities through operational referendums.
The Dodgeville School District has taken steps to manage these financial pressures, including reducing staffing levels and delaying certain expenditures. However, like many
Dodgeville School Board districts, the Dodgeville School District continues to face a growing gap between revenue and operational costs. For the next three years, that gap is projected to be approximately $2.5 million annually.
A Follow-Up on School Funding Following my recent letter about school funding, the Dodgeville School District School Board met to further discuss how potential legislative actions could affect the district’s finances.
During that discussion, the committee emphasized the importance of carefully analyzing both the district’s budget and any legislative changes that may impact how public schools are funded in Wisconsin. School finance is complex, and decisions made at the state level can affect districts in different ways depending on how funding is structured.
The Board has expressed a willingness to review this information thoughtfully each year. If the operational referendum is approved by voters, the Board plans to evaluate the district’s financial position at each Annual Meeting over the next three years. As they continue to understand both the financial needs of the district and the economic considerations of the community, they would consider adjustments to the levy when appropriate.
The district has also received updated equalized property value information that affects the estimated tax impact. Based on the most recent projections, the mill rate is now expected to be closer to $7.90 rather than the earlier estimate of $8.10. This would lower the estimated impact from approximately $245 to about $225 per $100,000 of property value with an approved referendum. Final numbers depend on updated state data released each year on October 15.
Wisconsin school districts hold an Annual Meeting where community electors have the authority to reduce the levy approved by the School Board. This year’s Annual Meeting will be held on October 26 at 6:00 p.m.
It is also important to understand that legislative actions do not always eliminate the need for local referendums. Wisconsin’s school finance system includes revenue limits that control how much funding districts are allowed to access. Because of these limits, even when additional funding is discussed at the state level, districts may still need voterapproved referendums in order to maintain or sustain their operations.
The Finance Committee also discussed how the district’s current budget has been developed with a fiscally conservative approach to operational needs. Over the past several years, the district has worked to carefully manage expenses, which has resulted in budgets that allow relatively little room for flexibility as costs continue to increase.
Moving forward, the district will continue working to share information and provide transparency so our community can better understand how these decisions affect local schools.
The board also heard about and acknowledged some major accomplishments that have taken place throughout the district. They include:
Gymnastics Acknowledgments:
TEAM STATE CHAMPIONS !!!
Maddy Klein, 11th grader from Iowa-Grant = Individual state champ on the vault – 2x state champ
Julia Oellerich, Todd Oellerich, Kaia Wedig, Elsa Nelson – Our amazing coaches. What an amazing season we had all the way around. We could not do it without these amazing people.
Boys Basketball Acknowledgments:
SWC Conference Champions! Finished 16-10 overall.
Coach Matt McGraw was named the SWC Coach of the Year!
Nine players named Academic All-State (3.500 cumulative GPA or higher)
FCCLA Acknowledgments: . Senior Addy Hoyer has been named a Top 15 National Semi-Finalist for FCCLA Member of the Year, the highest honor an FCCLA member can receive. She was selected from more than 260,000 members nationwide, making this an incredible national recognition of her leadership, service, and dedication to our school and community.
Adviser Sarah James was also selected as a Top 15 National Semi- Finalist for FCCLA Adviser of the Year, chosen from over 7,200 advisers across the country.
A huge thank you to Jeff Bradley for his 23 years of coaching boys golf at Dodgeville High School. Coach Bradley began his tenure during the 1999-2000 school year and led the program through the 2021- 2022 season. He was recently recognized in front of the DHS staff not only for his coaching contributions, but also as one of three staff members with 30+ years of service to our students. Jeff is nearing the completion of his 32nd year in education …. an incredible milestone. Thank you, Coach Bradley, for your time, dedication, and lasting impact on our golf program.
Annette Anderson was recently recognized in front of the DHS staff for her 30+ years of service to the Dodgeville School District. She is currently in her 30th year as an ad- ministrative assistant, and we are grateful for her continued commitment and support.
Bill Wasley was also recognized for his outstanding service. Bill is in his 39th year at DHS and his 40th year overall in the Dodgeville School District. He currently serves as the alternative education teacher in our Seeing Forward program and continues to make a meaningful impact on our students.
Sarah Burkhardt was recognized for her dedication to Dodgeville High School. She is currently in her 18th year as a high school English Language Arts teacher and also serves as our National Honor Society advisor. We appreciate her continued commitment to both the classroom and student leadership.
Karri Roh-Wasley was recognized for her years of service, dedication, and commitment to DHS. She is currently in her 24th year at Dodgeville High School and will reach 28 total years in education after this school year. We are thankful for the experience and care she brings to our students each day.
Also acknowledged were four time state wrestling champion Haaken Peterson and school nurse Brittany Kahl.
The board approved requests from 48 students wanting to take college courses through Start College Now or Early College Credit. Schools they will be utilizing are Southwest Tech, UW-Platteville, UW-Independent Leaning and UW-River Falls.
During public comment the recent spring play was discussed and it was pointed out how fortunate the district is to have such a significant involvement in the arts.
The board heard updates from its committees and from student representative Gabe Engel. Assistant principal Ben Laxton also gave an update on the recent parent-teacher conferences.
The board received an update on the proposed solar project and is looking at bidding. There has been $25,000 committed through donations. The matter will remain an agenda item.
Bohnsack told the board the Standard and Poor’s Rating (S&P) for the district will be lower because of deficit spending and a shrinking fund balance. That will mean a higher interest rate if the district has to borrow.
Start Here Go Anywhere alumni recognition was discussed. Former students submitting their stories who will be featured are Dr. Logan Yaeger (2014), Lauren Hawkinson (2008), John Tredinnick (1988), Tariq Touir (2018), and Elena Toninato (2009).
The board officially set the annual meeting date for October 26.