Incoming Superintendent Smet says Democracy isn’t always easy
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff writer
The old proverb, “May you live in interesting times,” has been offered as both a blessing and a curse.
Incoming Burlington Area School District Superintendent Peter Smet tends to look at the blessing side of the ledger.
“I’m an optimist, and it is a blessing,” said Smet, who will take over as BASD superintendent July 1.
Since last August’s first of two annual meetings, BASD has turned into a battleground with two distinct sides – conservatives who want the district to operate its salaries and benefits closer to a private business model with no tax levy increase, and others who think teachers and staff are being compensated properly and the district could stand a small levy increase in light of the loss in state aid the past two years.
An example of what Smet is stepping into was on display at Monday night’s curriculum meeting. After all school principals showed the progress on their school improvement plans, newly elected board member Phil Ketterhagen levied a salvo at the district, saying it hadn’t done enough to improve standardized test scores and that teachers should not be given a pay raise as a result.
The principals argued that improvements had been made, while Ketterhagen said those improvements didn’t show via the Wisconsin Knowledge Concepts Exam and teachers should be held accountable as a result.
“What you saw was the Democratic process in action,” Smet said. “The School Board wrestling with issues and different and varying points being brought forward.
“Once there’s a comfort level that’s established with new board members and existing board members, I think we’ll find a way to move forward, and, if necessary, agree to disagree,” Smet added.
The current budget proposal will go before the annual meeting in August, and Smet isn’t sure what to expect at that meeting. The budget includes a tax levy increase of 1.2 percent and contributions by employees to health insurance – if they take the current plan.
Otherwise, employees can opt for a high deductible plan that has higher co-pays and deductibles, but does not require a premium contribution. That fact, and the levy increase, has met with resistance.
“I would anticipate that almost any tax levy greater than zero is possibly contentious,” he said. “I hope that 1.2 percent is a reasonable compromise, that people will see it as a reasonable compromise, after losing potentially $2.4 million in state aid.”
State aid numbers won’t be official until enrollment and property values are finalized in October, but Smet expects a preliminary number sometime in the next week to week and a half.
“It’s going to be close,” Smet said. “It’s been such a difficult one to predict, and the state has been struggling with it also, which is why they haven’t come up with a number earlier.”
Smet said the state has to get all of the 2011-12 budget and budget adjustment numbers, as well as the enrollments – both actual and audited. BASD was audited this year, which meant that an audit firm needed to come and verify the enrollment.
Smet said the district was likely off by about 2-3 students.
“We’ve been audited about every three or four years,” he said. “Every school district always has a few adjustments.”
With that in play, this year’s state aid numbers will be estimated by July, but adjusted to the September enrollment numbers. From there, the district will know just how much the tax levy will be – and how much of the district’s fund balance will be utilized.
However, what has transpired with the City of Burlington’s tax incremental financing districts, means the tax levy increase could be roughly zero impact, depending on the individual properties.
Whether that will be enough to satisfy the no-tax-levy increase crowd remains to be seen.
“I can’t predict,” Smet said. “We’ll probably have a pretty crowded annual meeting.”
He confirmed that the district will likely have to hold the meeting the Burlington High School Auditorium.
“Make sure everyone has a seat,” he said.
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