001All right, we're good to go. >> Okay, you're going to go ahead and call the meeting to order in a roll call, please. >> It's 7:31 a.m. And Shrader, >> yes. Here. >> Wizoric, yes. Humpy, >> yes. >> Canadler, is he on there? >> You here? Okay. >> Angel, not here. Thompson >> here. >> Ski here. All right, we'll rise for the pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Notice the meeting from Wisconsin state statute 19.84 to declare a legal meeting. Ryan, it's been properly noticed. >> It has been properly. >> Make a motion. >> Motion by Mike. >> I will second that. Second by Jessica. All those in favor signify by
002saying I. >> I. >> All right. Uh, approval of the agenda. Ryan, are there any changes to the agenda this morning? >> There are no changes. >> All right. Make a motion. >> Motion by Mike. >> Second by Jess. Do we need roll call? No. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Right. Um, our first item is action and study um to discuss Dodgeville School District joining the Iowa County Schools sending an urgent statement to lawmakers to revisit public school funding. >> So, uh, as you guys are aware, there's other districts throughout the state that have sent some letters to um, um, legislators about the urgency of in regards to school funding. And specifically some of the items on that list are talking about special education funding where we're told we're
003going to get one amount but then it always is less. And so when they make promises of what they're going to do um that they they stick to those level of promises. And so we want to address those topics as well as this the state of school funding across the state specifically is coming together as Iowa County schools to let them know it's not working. there's challenges that exist for our taxpayers and keep using operational referendums as the means to do so. There's got to be something else. And so we really just want to put a collective message back out to them, letting them know here in Iowa County, we agree with the other schools that are doing this as well. This this isn't okay. >> SPT members, please. is the percentage right now, Ryan,
004that they're paying us 30%. We're supposed to get 42, correct? >> Supposed to get 42. Yes, >> that's for specked, correct? >> But yeah, >> I think they're projecting 35. >> Yeah, projecting for lower. >> 35 is what it's being projected at, right? Right now, we're hearing conversations that they're going to try to get it to 38. Um that that's the hard part is building a budget. If you built it at 42, you already know you're not going to get the funding that you were kind of promised. You're >> our budget was built at 42%. Correct. >> Locally, we did build ours at 40 because we know historically they've never held true to what they say they're going to give us. So it's always less. So previous years they'd say 32 and it might be
00527 28. And so hearing felt like there there was going to be more traction about them actually getting closer to their promise. Um with guidance from CISA 5 we said you know what 40 seems like the safer but now hearing 38 is going to be the safer. We know locally we're going to have a deficit to make up at the end of the year potential I should say a potential deficit. We don't know what the numbers will actually be at this point. And so if we have an opportunity here to stress enough to legislators like we we need to hold true on the things that we say um or tell us exactly what you're going to give us so that we can build the budgets correctly. >> And someone asked me on Wednesday night at
006the middle school what what what our deficit is on spec and I said a typical year somewhere in the 1.5 to 1.7 million. And I said, 'The legislature doesn't give us the full funding for it. And she asked me what that was this year. I said, 'Right now, it's a deficit for the district, but I wasn't sure of the number for sure. >> Right around 1.4 is where we're at. >> And that's every year. So, when you have to transfer $1.4 million every year from your general fund over into special education, um those dollars those those add up. And so and then when you go have to transfer that the if you don't have the funds elsewhere that just depletes your fund balance. So this is a this is a statewide issue. And so that's
007the piece that it's not mismanagement from school districts. Uh it is schools are being pinch pinch pinch. Taxpayers they're paying their taxes in and so they feel well the state should be funding for schools. Well we don't get all the money that's going in for uh local taxes. we don't get it back. They now distribute it to all the priorities. And we know there's a surplus. And so there's there's this how can you help your your tax base pay for the things they need? Can they give more to the schools? Can we figure something out other than operational referendums in the schools across the state? And so we can't control all schools. We can say, "Hey, locally here." And what I've done is we've reached out just to the local superintendent and said, "Hey, is
008everybody on board? If we're on board, let's send a similar letter off to the state letting them know Iowa County uh has a voice as well." >> Have all the schools like collaborated and say because in your email you said like Barnabel is already agreed. So >> every everybody is unofficially said yes. So, just like we're doing here, you know, making sure school boards, are are we officially behind this? Um, and that'll be an action item later here this morning is >> are we officially behind it? And I and I would say is, um, I'll propose it as even if there's schools that aren't, I think it's worthville saying, Dodgeville saying we'll join the Sock County schools, all the other schools that have already sent letters, Dodgeville's willing to send a letter if we can
009do it as a county. Let's get them all together. and we've drafted up a similar letter. I think that unifi >> Ryan, what was the Did we initiate this for Iowa County or did some other district and who crafted the letter? Was it modeled after the some other districts? I I missed that. >> Yeah, it was modeled after other districts. And so we took the ideas similar to like Sock did. And I I can tell you, you know, we meet Lauren um from River Valley. He um meets with us as area soups. He's kind of he's part of both. He's got kids in Iowa County and and Sock. And so when we saw their posting go out, we sent a message amongst our group saying, should should Iowa be doing this as well? This is
010we've all we've all said we agree with this. let's get on board and let's try to move quickly. At least then they know at the state level we we want attention too. This is not just Sock. This is the state of Wisconsin. Um so it was initiated I'll say collectively as a group. >> Okay. you know, um the legislature went into recess at midnight last night for the remainder of this year, which is unfortunate because as taxpayers, we are paying them to represent us and um for the rest of the year, they won't take any action on bills. So, it that's quite frustrating to be in the position we're in with a surplus available to be used and needs with needs to be met. And um I I I still feel like this message is
011important to send and perhaps they can come out of recess and do something about it. If we pressure them enough as school districts and taxpayers to say these are our priorities. This is what we've elected you to do. At least you need to discuss it knowing where as school districts we stand. So I think regardless of what their schedule is, it's so important to have um this message come out publicly. >> I agree. The other thing and I can tell you individually we've reached out so they can't say they haven't heard from us. It just hadn't been in a public way like this. Um so I think that's that point too is if this is important enough there's things that they could do to >> relook at what they're doing in the Wisconsin school system.
012So, it's I think it's worth the pressure to say, "Hey, whatever you guys decide here, I'm hoping it is enough, but they still could decide to do other things if they wanted to put a strategy behind hope." >> Nice. Absolutely. I'm in support of this letter. >> Yeah. The message in your referendum materials that we're presenting to people is all about the legislature not funding. It would be silly for us not to send a letter to them also. >> Right. Mike or Randall, do you have anything else you'd like to add before we go to action? >> No, I'm ready to vote. >> I'm ready to vote as well. >> Very good. All right. If there's no other discussion, then we will move on to action items. >> I'll make a motion to send an
013urgent statement to lawmakers with Iowa County school districts. >> I'll second that. >> Motion by Jess and a second by Laura. And a roll call. >> Shider. Yes. Wizoric, yes. Humpy, >> yes. >> Madler, >> yes. >> Engel, absent. Uh, Thompson, >> yes. >> Motion carries. All right, we have no other business. And I will take a motion to adjurnn. >> So move. >> Motion by Mike. >> Second by Jess to adjourn at 7:42 a.m. in >> favor. signify by saying I >> opposed. >> Sorry, I should have asked when will this letter be sent out? >> Hopefully today. >> Okay, >> great. Thank you guys.