By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
Burlington Area School District officials are hoping the third time is a charm as they make another attempt at presenting an operating referendum question to voters on a spring ballot that would infuse additional revenue into the budget.
The School Board on Dec. 9 made a pair of motions that set the stage for the referendum question, which will ask voters if they approve BASD exceeding the state revenue limit by $4.6 million annually for a three-year term.
If voters approve the district’s request, the added funds would begin in the 2025-26 school year and continue through the 2027-28 school year.
For much of the back half of this calendar year, BASD officials have been discussing holding another operating referendum.
BASD’s last unsuccessful attempt at an operating referendum was presented to voters this past February. After its failure, district officials resorted to a series of cost cuts, totaling $4.9 million, for the current 2024-25 school year. The closure of Lyons Elementary School was the largest of the cuts.
“We heard the community say, ‘You need to tighten your belts,’” Superintendent Jill Oelslager said of the results. “I feel like we’ve done that, so now we’re coming back to the community saying, ‘OK, we’re about as tight as we can go now. We need the support to continue to fund education here in Burlington.”
Consulting firm School Perceptions asked district residents to weigh in on their support for a referendum dollar amount threshold in a survey. Parents and staff supported a referendum in the range of $6 million annually, while non-parents and non-staff were generally more amenable to the $4 million range.
During deliberations at the recent Dec. 9 meeting, board members gave a variety of takes on the dollar amount that should be attached to the upcoming April referendum.
While she ultimately supported the $4.6 million annual figure, board member Aubrey Thompson suggested increasing the amount, based on survey results and subsequent community feedback.
“I think we all, as board members, are very aware that this number is the bare minimum that we need to stay afloat,” Thompson said.
But after two unsuccessful tries at bat, other board members said they wanted to remain cautious and work toward a dollar amount that had the best chance of garnering majority support.
“I thought $4.6 million was a balance,” board member Peter Turke said. “I’m fearful, after having two operating referendums fail in a row, that we really need to pass one. I tend to be more conservative and make sure that we pass a lower one. I think it’s a reasonable amount.”
Board member Noah Strohm maintained a similar perspective during the discussions. He said BASD is in “dire need” of additional funds.
“Obviously, it would be good to push that number as high as possible, but we just need to make sure that we are able to get one passed,” Strohm said. “Based on the survey results, I think that the $4.6 (million) is one that the community will be able to get behind.”
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