School Board Looking at Ways to Lower Taxes

What would Muskego residents rather see in the 2012-13 school budget: No increase to the property tax levy or no risk of further cuts to staff?

That's the issue being debated by the Muskego-Norway School Board as members look at what affect lowering the levy would have on the district's staff and programs.

The district originally projected a 4.89 percent increase in the tax levy, but the board asked Superintendent Joe Schroeder last week what would happen in fhte increase was lowered to 2 percent or 3 percent.

Board member Mike Serdynski asked how the district could achieve a no-increase levy, while board member Brett Hyde said he would be comfortable with an increase of 2 percent at the most.

However, Schroeder provided additional context to the issue, pointing out that this year's levy is 1.22 percent less than last year, and the projected revenues for the coming year is also 1.22 percent less, or $631,822.

Schroeder said trying to achieve the lower levies suggested by the board members would impact budgets and staffing.

"I know we'd all like to see a zero-percent increase," Schroeder told the board. "However, we're talking about an overall $1.1 million reduction in our budget, and any local increase in revenue is coming because of a reduction in state aid."

The current projection of a 4.89 percent levy increase already reflects teacher nonrenewals for two part-time middle school math coaches and a part-time elementary teacher; and a reduction in hours for one middle school Spanish teacher and an art teacher.

And if the board wanted to hold the levy increase to 3 percent, Schroeder's projections call for for additional cuts:

• Elimination of one teacher "placeholder" position
• No replacement for retiring reading specialist
• Filling all 22 open enrollment seats remaining, as well as opening six additional seats at Bay Lane in fifth grade
• Reduce the superintendent's office and board budget by 22 percent
• Reduce building budgets by 5 percent
• Create special education coach position at the middle school level by staff reassignments
• Eliminate the teacher tuition reimbursement program

Schroeder said the savings would equal $632,232, but cautioned that all projections were early estimates and relied on what the state aid package would be. He told Muskego Patch that those numbers wouldn't be made available until late September or October, which makes the budget process especially difficult.

"Our board is being sensitive to the taxpayers, but we have to realize that this is all so much projection," Schroeder said. "Other school districts aren't having these discussions yet, and we need to be aware that our levy increases have been under the consumer price index for the past four years, and we're setting a very conservative estimate (worst-case scenario) with the 4.89 percent number."

"You can only go to that well so often before it erodes the competitiveness of benefits we can offer our staff, and we ultimately lose quality," he added.

The school board is still in the discussion phase of the budgets, and will not likely make any decisions until after a new superintendent is hired, as Schroeder is resigning at the end of June.