A: The district is always evaluating ways to be financially efficient while ensuring we continue to provide supportive educational opportunities for students and staff. One key strategy is to assess whether we can maintain programs and services without replacing staff when they leave. We ask ourselves questions like, "Can we still meet students' needs by using existing staff, or can we adjust programming to provide similar opportunities?"

For the upcoming school year, there are several planned reductions:

Fifth grade staffing will be reduced after we hired a second fifth-grade teacher for one year to accommodate larger class sizes.
The Physical Education and Music programs are both undergoing restructuring due to staffing changes and enrollment trends. Here's a closer look at the changes planned for these programs:
- Physical Education:
  - Staffing Change: Currently, the district has two PE teachers. After a recent resignation, a long-term substitute is filling in until the end of the school year.
  - Next Year’s Plan: The district will move to a single PE teacher for the entire program. This shift reflects a strategy to reduce costs while still maintaining physical education opportunities for students. The PE program will return to a similar structure that was in place about a decade ago.
- Music Program (Vocal and Instrumental):
  - Current Setup: The district currently has separate Vocal Music and Instrumental Music teachers.
  - Changes for Next Year: The district plans to combine these two positions into one teacher who will teach both vocal and instrumental music. This restructuring comes as a result of low enrollment in the secondary music programs and smaller class sizes in the elementary grades.The new setup will see one teacher managing both the vocal and instrumental programs, which could include combining classes or finding ways to integrate the two areas in a more flexible format.

These changes are designed to balance the district's budget while still providing a robust educational experience for students. However, if the referendum does not pass, further reductions will be necessary in subsequent years, which may lead to loss of programming opportunities and potential staff layoffs.

Referendum Q & A

Q: Why does the Shullsburg School District need an $975,000 operational referendum?

Q: Has the District been fiscally responsible?

Q: Is the District discussing any reduction of expenses?

Q: Didn’t the community pass a recurring referendum for the District not too long ago?

Q: Does the District pay for the Miner Childcare Center expenses that aren’t covered by the fees from families who utilize the Center?

Q: Is it true that Special Education costs have increased?

Q: How are Wisconsin public schools funded?

Q: What is the difference between a recurring operational referendum and a non-recurring operational referendum?

Q: Why is the Shullsburg District asking for a recurring operational referendum and not a non-recurring operational referendum?

Q: What happens if the referendum doesn’t pass on April 1?

Q: How many other districts are going out for referendum on April 1?

Q: What is the projected school mill rate if the referendum passes?

Q: What are the mill rates for the districts around us?

Q: Why have my school taxes increased in the last few years?

Q: The District just finished some facility projects over the past few years, where did that funding come from?

Q: Doesn’t the State provide an increase in the amount the District receives per student each year?

Q: What happened to the Covid related dollars that the District received?