The School District of Tomahawk is pursuing a $3.25 million per year operational referendum in the April 6, 2021 election. This non-recurring referendum would begin in the 2021-22 school year and end in 2024-25.
The District has always prided itself on its fiscal responsibility to taxpayers. This can be seen through the recent athletic facility update. The $2.6 million project was needed to resurface the track, replace bleachers, and refurbish the football field. Instead of turning to taxpayers to fund this project, the District accepted $2.3 million in Hatchet Pride donations. In the end, the District only had to pay a small amount for significant updates to this area.
In 2020, the District commissioned a facility audit that identified failing roofs, leaky pipes, rusting lockers, and cracked flooring, among other issues. While the District is fortunate to have a dedicated maintenance staff, unfortunately, the wear and tear to the building over time has resulted in maintenance needs that are beyond what our annual budget can handle. Based on these findings, the Board began to consider a referendum.
The District then worked with School Perceptions to conduct a broad-based community survey to gather feedback on proposed projects. Survey results showed the community backed this venture. In November 2020, the District pursued a $3.5 million, four-year operational referendum. Unfortunately, the referendum failed by a mere 51 votes.
Following the failed election, the District began to look for ways to cut the budget. But even with substantial reductions in staffing, field trips, and electives, the District would still have to take $1 million per year from the fund balance. The District determined a smaller referendum might better fit the needs of the school and the community. If the proposed operational referendum passes, residents will see a continued tax decrease over the next four years. Additionally, the District can address deferred maintenance needs and avoid substantial cuts to educational programming.
As a District, we remain committed to fulfilling our mission of coordinating efforts between the school and community to meet every child’s social, emotional, and academic needs. This webpage is designed so the community can follow our progress throughout this process. We will continue to update this webpage as additional information becomes available. We urge you to review the information and contact the District office at 715-453-5555 with any questions.
Community Meetings
The Board will hold scheduled informational meetings to review proposed referendum needs and capture feedback from community members. This collected input will be a valuable resource as the District continues to plan for the future. Consider attending one of these meetings to be held in the school auditorium on:
The School District of Tomahawk is continually updating its facility. Recent improvements include updating the elementary school flooring, replacing interior doors, and updating the fitness room and LMC. However, maintaining a 315,000 square foot facility is an endless job, and the larger systems needed to run the school come with higher costs. Despite the District’s ongoing efforts, the following needs remain:
MAINTENANCE PROJECTS
Roofing – Annual repair or replacement of various roof sections to fix existing leaks and avoid future issues.
Stained ceiling tiles resulting from a roof leak
Water damage in ceilings near an entrance
Hardscapes – Resurface parking lots and repair cracked sidewalks and crumbling curbs.
Deteriorating curbing
Cracked hardscapes
Restrooms – Replace leaking urinals and remodel several bathrooms for ADA compliance.
Leaking urinal in the boys’ bathroom
Partitions not ADA compliant
Piping – Replace cracked and broken piping to stop water backup and sewage smells in the lower level.
Deteriorating piping
Waterline from moisture in the lower level
Flooring – Remove and properly abate cracked asbestos flooring in hallways and classrooms.
Cracked hallway flooring
Cracked hallway flooring
Lockers – Replace aged and rusting lockers throughout the facility.
Scratched lockers
Aged and rusting lockers
HVAC – Replace 20-year-old boilers with higher efficiency models.
20-year-old boilers
Controls
Building Systems – The public address and fire alarm systems are old, and parts aren’t available anymore. As equipment fails, these systems need to be replaced.
Out-of-date PA and fire alarm systems
Fire alarm system
FACE Lab – Update equipment and modernize lab for culinary arts.
Existing lab space/Students utilizing equipment
Bleachers – Bring bleachers in the old high school gym up to code.
Bent bleachers
Bent bleachers
Auditorium – Update sound and light systems and seating.
Aged sound system
Existing lighting system
OPERATIONAL NEEDS
Technology – Adhere to technology replacement schedule and purchase annual software.
Students utilizing technology
Students utilizing technology
Educational Resources – Repair/replace SMART Boards as needed and purchase classroom and summer school materials.
SMART Board in a classroom
SMART Board in a classroom
Academic Activities – Fund field trips, co-curricular activities, and avoid substantial cuts to current programming and course offerings.
Students enjoying a sledding experience
Student field trip
Staffing – Invest in staff salary and benefits packages.
Staff member and SRO
Staff member directing students
Transportation – Maintain current bussing routes.
Estimated Tax Impact
Due to existing non-recurring referendum costs concluding and proposing a new debt at a lower cost, the impact of a passed referendum will decrease tax bills in the coming years. If the referendum passes, taxpayers will see an average decrease of $0.07 per thousand dollars of property value the first year, with additional reductions in years two, three, and four. The chart below illustrates the projected mill rate.
Referendum Question
Shall the School District of Tomahawk, Lincoln, and Oneida Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $3,250,000 per year beginning with the 2021-2022 school year and ending with the 2024-2025 school year, for non-recurring purposes due to continued increased expenses to maintain current educational programming and ongoing facility maintenance needs?
What Happens if the Referendum Fails?
A recurring question from the public, if what would happen if the referendum fails? If the referendum is not successful, the School Board would have to overcome an approximate $14.7 million-dollar deficit over the next four years to maintain current programming. This could result in the following cuts:
Administrative, teaching, and support staff lay-offs
Increased class sizes, especially in the Elementary School
Eliminated Music and Theatre options
Potential swimming pool closure
Decrease in Middle and High School electives, such as technical education, the arts, foreign language, virtual course options, and AP and dual credit courses
Reduced field trip opportunities
Transportation pick up and drop off points reduced/eliminated
School day(s) eliminated from calendar
Decreased classroom materials and resources
Reduced Summer School opportunities
Removed Social and Emotional support services and programming
Added responsibilities to current staff due to lay-offs
Maintenance projects and necessary equipment and technology replacement put on hold
Salary freezes all four years
At least $1,000,000 spent each year from the fund balance, causing short-term borrowing needs
If the April 2021, operational referendum fails, the School Board would need to schedule another referendum in April of 2022. Since the operating reserve is now at the level that avoids the District going into short term debt to pay monthly bills, taking further funds out of the fund balance each year would put the District in a very precarious financial situation, especially after multiple years of such deficit spending.
