School Board Candidates Talk Bonding, Budgeting and Redistricting

Incumbents Sheila Brogan and Laurie Goodman gave their pitch to the voting public as to why the should remain entrenched in their positions on the school board, while challenger Christina Krauss said it's time to see someone new at Cottage Place on Monday evenings.

On Thursday night, the trio crafted by the League of Women Voters–which moderated and hosted the forum at the Education Center–as well as residents.

The are vying for two three-year seats, so an incumbent is guaranteed a spot. Voters will vote for both the $86.77 million general school budget, which represents an increase of $191 for the average home assessed just shy of $800,000, as well as the school board candidates on April 27, a Wednesday.

In part four of four-part series, the candidates discuss everything from what the district could do with unused referndum money, insurance costs, redistricting, administrator raises, curriculum disagreements and what would happen if the budget were voted down.

Return of Bond Money?

A resident asked the candidates if they wold pledge to ease taxpayer burden on bonded debt by paying off the $2 million in under budget referendum projects. The district has the option to rework some aspects of the $48 million referendum, ask via referendum for new work to be approved unrelated to the completed construction, or pay off bond liens, likely to be in April of 2013 when construction work is complete and permits issued.

Neither Goodman nor Brogan said they would commit to returning taxpayer money should there be a savings at the end of construction, each saying there are so many variables that could happen in two years. Krauss said she could not answer the question, as she did not know enough about the topic.

In a related subject, none of the three could answer how much money it would cost to replace the turf fields at the end of their lifespan.

Insurance costs?

Goodman and Brogan noted at the Thursday meeting that the approximate cost of health insurance for a family plan is $21,000, about 5 percent of which is paid by teachers. Residents at different points noted the private sector doesn't afford such luxuries, particularly in this economy.

Krauss on curriculum

When asked if she would object to recommended curriculum from building heads and administrators, Krauss said she's made no objections to curriculum but would not have any hesitance to do so should she feel an objection is warranted. "I certainly wouldn't be afraid to have a conversation," she said.

Administrator raises

One resident contended that the district negotiated raises to administrators worth four percent in 2010. Goodman and Brogan disputed the claim, saying it was 3.5 percent in salary, but contributions to health care would have to be 1.5 percent, in effect rendering it a 2 percent raise. Krauss said she couldn't speak to the negotiated contract. "I would have had to have been part of the negotiations from the get-go to really answer that question effectively."

If budget is voted down, then what?

Goodman and Brogan both said that they haven't had any discussion as to what will be done should the $86.77 million general budget be voted down on April 27, the same day of the election. Brogan explained that the council will have to prescribe cuts to "a very solid budget without staff cuts or program cuts," a process the district felt in 2010 though the council spared it any real bloodletting.

"This budget is very lean," Brogan said. "As you look at it, the next places to cut are really in curriculum or instructional areas, which would be very difficult to do."

Goodman added that capital project funds would likely be axed as well.

Glen School, redistricting

Resident Roger Weigand asked the incumbents their thoughts on opening Glen School to kids on the east side of the highway. Brogan explained that the school has 15 classrooms, which serve the special education community as well as preschool, which makes money for the district. The district is required by law to educate students of disability, but the program allows them to interact with non-disabled students and it's cheaper to educate in-house, Brogan said.

Goodman said that when discussing the referendum, the idea of re-opening Glen came up but it would have been too great a cost, as a principal, staff would need to be hired, as well as filling the library and bringing the building up to code for elementary schoolers, which it does not meet as of now. "Redistricting doesn't happen over night," Goodman added, saying it's often a long, arduous process and savings often aren't realized for years.