School district discuss pitfalls, benefits of referendum education
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Judging by the reactions at the Feb. 6 School Board meeting, the Burlington Area School District could be treading a thin line when it comes to efforts to educate the public on its upcoming April referendum questions.
For an hour and a half, the School Board, members of its staff and administration, and citizens debated the best way to get information out to the public regarding the upcoming referendum.
There are three questions on the April 4 ballot:
- Question 1: A new middle school along with other infrastructure repairs and upgrades at a cost of $68.3 million, which would have an impact of $1.23 per $1,000 of property value over the life of the loan.
- Question 2: Additional athletic space at the high school – namely wrestling and gymnastics areas – at a cost of $11.7 million, which would have an impact of 39 cents per $1,000 of property value.
- Question 3: A new performing arts center at the high school at a cost of $14.4 million, which would have an impact of 47 cents per $1,000 of property value.
One of the main concerns raised Monday night was keeping the district clear of any stance for, or against, the referendums.
That point was brought home by Bonnie Ketterhagen, wife of School Board member Phil Ketterhagen. She said that it needed to be clear who was doing what, and that a political action committee could not collaborate with the School Board.
She also said anyone spending more than $25 to advocate for the referendum needed to register with the state. However, Superintendent Peter Smet clarified that the district had consulted its attorney, and that number is now $10,000 – a number supported by the State of Wisconsin Elections Commission.
While there was some debate over the number, the question was also raised of who was allowed to do what. Simply put, district employees can support the referendum and work for or against it, but only outside of school. Any work done by the school district or its employees during school hours needs to be strictly informational.
Smet said after the meeting that administrative staff is steering clear of working for or against the referendum to avoid any conflicts, but among those in attendance at the meeting were Burlington High School track coach Jason Bousman, district parent Peter Turke (who is running for School Board) and Dana Schmaling. They indicated that several district coaches and their wives were willing to be involved to get the information out.
At the heart of the matter, though, is getting the information about the perceived benefits and costs of the projects out to the public.
While BASD Communications Coordinator Julie Thomas laid out a clear plan that included a district informational website, mailings and videos, School Board President Jim Bousman hammered home the point that the district needed to go the extra mile in communicating why the district was pursuing a referendum.
“People need to know the reason why we’re doing these things,” said Jim Bousman. “We’ve got to get it out. Otherwise, it won’t pass.”
Other methods of communication being considered are making presentations to various civic groups – uniform presentations with all the information regarding the work needing to be done and the fixes being pursued – and putting informational tables out at various events.
School Board Member Barry Schmaling summed it up simply by saying he didn’t want the public voting on “gut feeling.”
“I want people informed, and making decisions based on what they feel is best,” he said.
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