Cutting $200K for the last 6 years to avoid this referendum didn't work now did it. There was still a referendum now wasn't there. That did not pass. Just some facts... Guess their plan didn't work out so well now did it.

It is a great idea, and the school board has done it. What do you call cutting $200K for the last 6 years? I call that planning ahead in an attempt to avoid this referendum. Just some facts...

I'm sure there are a lot of people that would like to downsize. Have you tried to sell a home in Brodhead in the last few years? Not much is selling over $150,000. Planning ahead and having a safty net... what a great idea. Maybe the school board should have thought of that as well. Just a thought...

If an elder has a home of $200K, they might need to downsize. Most of the elderly are just them and their spouse, and probably don't need a large $200K home. I'm not saying that people should move so they can pay for the tax increase, but that in purchasing a large home, it has to cross your mind that when taxes go up (inevitable), yours go up more, and you needed to plan ahead and have some sort of a safety net.
I would be willing to bet, the majority of people who voted 'no' don't live in a $200K or even $150K homes.
Hopefully what will happen is that the board will go back to the drawing board, make necessary cuts, and come back to the public asking for less, and the people feel it is more reasonable. If the board just makes all the cuts, and does not come back to the community, I worry that many of the 'no' voters, don't realize what just happened to the community.

$500 and some change is on a home valued at $100,000. What about those homes that are valued at over $200,000 now lets double that. A lot of people in Brodhead are on a very very tight budget so even an extra $40 or $80 a month is a lot for some people. Good example of that is the elder. The can't afford to budget for that extra $40 a month.

And all this stress on the district is for $500 and change over 4 years ... say what you want about poor spending habits, over-paid administrators, teachers, etc. ... whatever you want, whether or not it's true ... and it's $500 for 4 years, which is a little more than $10 a month ... that's $10 a month to save your school and your town ... seems silly to me not to do it, and I'm one of those on the statistics of the unemployed right now, so don't give me any grief about how tough times are. I know times are tough, believe me. But without our schools and education, do you really think they're suddenly going to get better?

And while I'm at it, for those who gripe about teacher/administrator salaries ... those folks have earned their way with advanced degrees to command top pay. For what they do and put up with every single day, they're vastly underpaid if you ask me.

From the TV News: Yesterday there had been a total of 32 requests to transfer to another district next year. Today that number more than doubled. That's an enrollment loss of about 70 if no more apply. At state aid of $6800/student that means another $476,000 budget hole that needs to be filled. Good luck, Brodhead.....

look i know that times are hard right now but you know if you could at least help the new generation by acually giving them a chance this country could get back up on its feet and the school is the heart of the town without it the town is going to die

I know this is a tough situation for all. There are alot of emotions. Many of you do not understadn how the economics of school funding is much different than a business. (No i am no expert) however i am in the education field. Certain money can only go to certain places. The "recovery" money can only be used for certain items, many special ed. It cannot be used to balance the budget. Yes, i think using sports was the wrong way to go about trying to get the ref. passed. The real hurt comes when your son or daughter is in elementary school and there are 30 kids in the class. The teacher talks to your kid once or twice because he or she has too many kids and can't get to yours. Please don't complain that your son or daughter is not getting enough attentions. I went to school in Brohead and moved back with my wife because I like it so much. I was proud to be from Brodehad, proud to play sports for Brodhead. Not so proud now. None of us want our taxes to go up, but I think we need to look at the spending on new police station, fire station, public works, city hall etc. Lets not take away from our kids!

I will not be contributing to any Brodhead fundraisers. Since the majority of tax payers in Brodhead didn't pass the referendum to help their own children...don't come knocking on my door asking for money to keep programs running.

A note to the Orfordville Parkview District voters - you will be dealing with this next - inform yourself as to the true needs of the school district before a referendum vote, so that you aren't just a complainer after the fact. Sometimes the health of a community isn't just about the dollars.

Rocky I graduated 3 years ago and in this economy it was the best job that I could find. The administrators are making a great deal more than many professional fields. I have been job searching for a year now and employers are making cuts and do not want to pay as much as they did. I was not talking about the teachers pay and I never was complaining about how much I made. I was just stating that maybe they should take a cut for the sake of the kids. Don’t make the kids suffer.

Yep ipittythefool300 this is what our tax dollars are paying for a teacher to have you in school so you can be blogging about what another teacher does on his/her own time on his own property. YOU just proved what many are upset about.

And...taxes will go up in Brodhead when the families move out...property values will go down and then what? I wasnt being facetious.

Im actually a parent with kids in the elementary school. Im also a homeowner in the city of Brodhead. I voted Yes yesterday. Im extremely disappointed in the citizens of this town today and that was the nicest thing I could think of to post. Thanks to all that voted yes. I think for our small town, having over 1800 people show up to vote was a nice turnout even if it didnt go the way I hoped it would.

Wow, Sarah923, you have an MS from UW-Madison and make much less than that? Not many professional fields pay less than education. Of course, you, like the teachers, chose your field, so don't complain about the money. (sarcasm - see below)

---

Isn't it funny how for years of economic boom we gave ourselves nice raises and not the teachers - telling them exactly what I told Sarah above - "you made your choice and knew you weren't going to make much money in education, so don't complain about your low salaries". Now, when the economy is in the dumps these same people have morphed into "those overpaid teachers". Well - which one is it? I've said in these pages before - I'll support reduced salaries for teachers now so long as you agree, in writing, to provide salary increases commensurate with the private sector in the future as well. Otherwise you're talking out of your ......armpit.....

btowngirl

My point exactly. If we can pony up for all of that (plus a whole lot more you did not mention)... why not the school?

booradley
well thank you for your concern (sarcasm). i want you to think about something if your kids( if you have any or will have any) were going to a school and were in the same boat how would you feel? what would you do if some person put up the same post that you did? so put urself in our shoes and try to feel how we do cuz we may lose what our town is all about. so just do that for me so you realize how childish you look right now!

workinaldaylong
That wasnt directed at you that was directed at the people who think that they know what is going on here and think they do. i too could walk through the school with my eyes closed. but it really gets me that there are those people that say that it is the schools fault when we have been cutting out alot of things over the past 6 yrs. YES those people did not deserve that raise that could help us immensly for the budget and they should get that taken away from them. and deery shouldnt be making that much anyways there are alot of pay cuts that should be done.. but we have to make sure that it is a living wage for the people.

Why is everyone blaming Deery? Not his referendum. Focusing this conversation on the referendum, is what makes common sense. (Notice that is spelled with a S not a C, good effort though) Further, seniority isn't everything, some people may keep jobs with less seniority because they are qualified to teach more than just that one area. I also think it is smart to hire spouses (also with an S), saves on paying health insurance to two different families. Maybe (also notice the spelling for future use) this Deery guy knows what he is doing. The state budget caps is how Brodhead got into this position, not Deery. Just a thought.

Sarah923, You're on the ball, but don't forget Deery recruited a couple other school figures from his previous places of employment, then after they had started, he then hired their spouces and laid off others in the same departments with more seniority than them, HMMMMM, sounds like a clique. And anyone who speaks up about that matter seems to find themselves driven out too. His idle threats may become reality to boost the checkbook, Brodhead has never had a problem until he came to town, mabee he should be driven out. here's an idea to back it; Common sence should say at about 12 years of the high school, Geez, maybee we should start sticking away for a new roof? I guess our district doesn't run on common sence, just rely on taxpayers to bail them out.

And our municipal portion is going to fund a police force that is almost the size of Monroe's, a city that is 3 times the size of Brodhead. Then they purchase an SUV to "patrol the dam and head gates area", but drive it around town all year long. Then there is the ladder truck that our fire dept. owns....there is probably not a building within a 50 mile radius that is tall enough to warrant its use. And what does a town of 3100 people need a full time fire chief for??? This is how the municipal government is spending our tax dollars....but we are just outraged that the school has the nerve to ask for more money?!?!? Where is the outrage for the complete waste of most of our tax dollars??? I would much rather fund the school!!

And to alwaysright: It only takes a few kids "hanging on the streets" and causing problems to ruin the town a little bit more than it already is. A town full of bored kids is not going to be a good thing. And any parent who says they know absolutely EVERYTHING that their kids are doing is a liar!!! I had a very good relationship with my parents growing up and I still didn't tell them absolutely everything I did!!! That is just part of being a kid.

Deery is not the person everyone should be so focused on. Yes he makes the most money, he makes the tough decisions. But focus, this isn't Deery's referendum, this was brought by the school board. For all those who voted no, I'll echo, shame on you. I just read all of these comments, and nothing anyone said (most of which is hearsay, and not true) would change my vote, YES. I am a Brodhead property owner, with no children, and still a student, with immense amounts of student loans.
Extra-curricular activities were a huge part of my high school experience, and I have no doubt they got me to where I am today. Taking that away from Brodhead is despicable.
to Freebird: get your facts straight, the fourth year of the referendum would be $228 more than what you paid this year. $576 is what you will pay over the 4 year life of the referendum, which by the way breaks down to $12 a month for 4 years.
SarahB: Your $4 to McDonalds, would be plenty enough per month to cover next years increase. If you go there 3 times a month, wow, there ya go, $12 over the next 4 years is not a lot of money, even for a struggling student.

Name: Chuck Deery
Position: Superintendent
Degree: B.S.E. - U.W. Platteville, 1978
M.S.E. - U.W. Madison, 1984

NO PhD for Deery and he is the highest paid.

Rocky I graduated from the UW Madison with my master's degree and I'm pretty sure they do not all have their PhD.

Sarah923 - do you have your PhD? Most of those people do.

Several years of wasteful spending catching up and their trying to pass it on to taxpayers. 2% increase in the administrators salaries, if they were hurting they should have passed on that. 4 year old kindergarten is a daycare program at the taxpayers expense. If extracurricular activities is a big issue, raise the price to the parents, it's their kids in them, not everyones. This is a harsh thing to say but it's true, parents took on the responsibility of their kids when they chose to have them, if they want them to be in sports and other things, they should pay, not the taxpayer that don't have kids in the schools. People have lost their jobs, others are on fixed incomes and can't afford to have their taxes go up, the vote shows that! Brodhead has the highest tax in the area and it's not a big district, hmmmmm how do the others do it, other districts must really be in the hole then, or they just know how to budget!

Thank you, The whole point is that whatever % it is a lot of money and people are struggling and they had to choose.

As a lifelong resident of Brodhead the outcome of this referendum makes me sick. First off, those of you who think this referendum was only about cutting out "sports" have been very misinformed. Maybe that was what the media chose to hightlight, but we will also be losing teaching positions and increasing our class sizes, we will lose elective classes and advance placement courses. The failure of the referendum hurts EVERY child in our school district. I graduated from BHS just like my parents before me and I had every intention of having all my children graduate from Brodhead also, but now I am not only considering open enrollment but moving as well. I do not want my children to go to a school that doesn't offer every opportunity available, whether it is extra curricular activities or an elective class such as art or "shop" classes or advance placement courses to prepare them for college. As for all of you who think that people voted this down to send the message that they are unhappy with our school board and administrators.....WELL WHERE WERE ALL THESE PEOPLE FOR OUR SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS?!?!?! Our school board members have been running unopposed for YEARS...so either they thought they were doing a good job or they just didn't care enough to do anything about it. Every member of the community has the right to go to the meetings and keep track of what is going on, and if you choose not to do that, then you really shouldn't complain about the job that is being done. There was an article in the Gazette a year ago informing the public about the need for this referendum and what would have to be cut if it didn't pass....but I haven't seen anyone step up to the plate and try to come up with alternatives. This was not a threat or blackmail...it was just plain the reality of the situation. And the public ignored the situation until about a month ago and are now trying to place the blame on someone else, when in reality they only have themselves to blame. I am very disappointed in the people of Brodhead. Actually that is a complete understatement...the fact is I am very angry today. I know that alot of people are struggling financially these days (myself included) but this is going to kill our community and those who choose to stay are going to pay for it in the end anyways...so I hope they are very happy with themselves now!!!

2008-2009 salaries:
Deery
District Administrator
$117,601.00
Business Manager
$74,960.00
Director of Special Education
$67,396.00
Principal
$93,122.00
Principal
$89,593.00
Principal
$83,918.00
Director of Instruction
$83,892.00

I don't even come close to making this kind of money...

workinaldaylong

On my tax bill that 40% included the tax for Blackhawk tech. In Brodhead we pay a greater portion for city and county tax than we do for "school" taxes. That is not the case elsewhere in this state.

"How dare you" kind of gets under my skin. Kind of like the "Shame on you" at the meeting. See my dear friend I have had kids in this school and will have more in this school. and I DO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON !!! Thank you. By the way I could walk through this school (all three of them) with my eyes closed.

ABLUEDEVIL- yes the attack is on DEERY, he is the super, who else do you hold accountable, YOU!

to bad that over half of you dont even know what is going on. the school district has made cuts over the past years we have seen alot of teachers leave ( and good teachers at that) because the school was cutting back on things. the school has fundraisers for the sports ( sports boosters) and also for baseball and show choir. people always go based on what they hear and not what has actually happened. some of our best teachers are going to have to be let go because people didnt vote yes because they "believe" that the school district didnt do any thing about the budget when they actually did do something about it. We need a new roof on the school because there was a 15 yr warranty on the roof and it is on its 15th year and there are alot of leaks on it. but the school spends to much money? how dare you guys act like you guys know what is going on in this school when you guys more than likely have never been in this school or havent for year

The thing I did not like about their "presentation" was, 1. They had a assembly meeting with the students telling them they would lose the sports, chorus and they should tell the parents to vote yes. 2. In their "letters to the editor" they chose to write, "people are asking what their $40 the first year would go for". The person that read that would say "what if $40" , but they were asking for more. They were dishonest, I was not comfortable voting yes, when I felt they were not being honest and laying all their facts out there. The administator chose to make his letter sound like they weren't asking for much, but if we didn't pay up our children won't get to have any sports/chorus. And the other people that wrote in were like "all our children will be in trouble and hanging on the streets". Excuse me, but if that is the case those parents aren't doing their jobs as parents. The school board needs to get their facts straight and do the work they wanted to do to make sure the excess spending stops, and the money goes for the kids to get a good education. Teachers shouldn't have to receive a lower pay in Brodhead, but they could contribute to the health insurance like many Americans are doing. We could "share" administration like some other states do. The can do with less and still have sports/chorus.

There are still taxes for Black Hawk Tech. So yes you are right about the municipal portion of the taxes usually being lower. We are not talking about Black Hawk Tech here though.

Thank you for bringing it to my attenttion

usingthebrain
politics and everything about the referendum is sociology, and thats why we talked about it. Our teacher stayed totally neutral throughout the whole discussion, even saying that he did not necessarily think the voters were wrong voting no. And the teachers should talk about the referendum because it affects all of us, actually I wish they would have talked more about it. We discussed both sides of the issue as there were kids in there who are kids in financially difficult situations, and their parents did vote no. I do not know if the teachers have offered to reduce their benefits, but I do know that they are still under contract and are unable to do anything. And yes there are many area people who are struggling, I know that, my family is one of them. The school is the backbone of the community. And the teachers are not immune from anything, just like the students, just like the administrators, just like the community.

"Brodhead is already getting over 40% of peoples property taxes"

In most Wisconsin communities, the municipal portion of the property tax is less than the school portion.

seniorkid it is nice to see your take on this as well. We do feel bad for the teachers, they all have homes and families. The thing is if you sit down and figure it out the school district of Brodhead is already getting over 40% of peoples property taxes. A lot of people are already in the situation of having lost jobs, taken cuts in pay, paying more for insurance or losing it completely, and so on.

That being said; I have heard a lot of the people say even with all the hard economy if they didn't feel that this was so poorly planned and shoved down their throats they may have had a different opinion. Like everything else not everyone can be pleased. No matter the outcome people are going to be affected.

Rocky- selfish attitude??? I have already taken a BIG pay cut myself. I work for the state of wisconsin and took a cut to help blanace the states budgets. I don't see where I am being selfish. Why can't the teacher in Brodhead do the same for our kids? The kids are the ones who will suffer. A lot of the teacher do not even live in Brodhead so the won't see their taxes go up.

Senior kid, Why are you discussing the financial implications of the referendum in a Sociology class?

Is this anything other than a teacher using their classrooms as a campaign platform? It's nothing new, and certainly is not unique to Brodhead, but if our teachers have time to talk about why it will be so bad if the referendum fails, maybe they have time to take on a few extra students in each class.

Since I doubt your sociology class discussed both sides of this issue, and you brought up the example of a teacher who has a new house and a new baby - what about everyone else in the community? Have the teachers offered to reduce salary and/or benefits to help save that teachers job? What about the many area families with new houses and new babies who are already dealing with a job loss or have taken a pay cut to help keep their job? They are doing with less, and yet they are supposed to pay out more, so why should teachers be immune from the same issues that everyone else is?

timewas
We also talked today in our sociology class that if two schools co-oped with education the debt of the school is shared with the other one. So that would not really help. Just a point

Sarah923. Seriously? Don't take $40 out of my pocket, but it is OK to cut the teacher's and administrator's pay by hundreds or thousands. "Just so long as it doesn't hurt me" syndrome. Very selfish attitude there - way to go.

I'm not at all against paying extra fees for band, sports, AP classes or whatever but I was under the impression that as the school district collects more money in fees (i.e. sports) they receive less funding from the state. Is that correct? If so kind of sounds like more of a wash than a solution.

Abluedevil's comments are pretty much spot on. Even minor reductions in extra-curricular offerings will probably devastate the community. Students are probably filling out open enrollment forms as we blog, just in case their sport is the one cut. As the students leave, so does the state aid that goes with them. Expenses don't decline as rapidly as aid, so taxes must increase to cover costs - and even more cuts will be needed. Now you will have a high-tax district with few services. Not attractive to homebuyers or businesses. Even a new referendum in the fall won't stop the damage that has been done.

---

Basically what the voters of Brodhead did would be the equivalent of Janesville telling GM to leave town. Nice move.

sarah, I could be wrong, but I heard from a co-worker who use to have their kids in sports in Brodhead that the fee was 15 bucks per sport. I know our school also in green county nearby brodhead with a much smaller enrollment is 50 bucks per sport fee and 150 bucks maximum per family or was it per kid? Either way if this is the case, the admin. in brodhead should have for the past 10 years or so been charging parents 50 bucks per sport per child - time for new admins.? - maybe so? It seems the parents even 10-15 years ago would not mind 50 bucks per sport fee if this is what it would take to keep sports in the school system. When I was going to school some 20+ years ago, it was free for kids, but then again, we had hammy down uniforms and eqmt. about 10+ years old also in green county. Kids and parents want everything handed to them for free nowadays and not willing to earn it. Best of luck Brodhead and hope not too many classes, teachers, and sports are cut - good luck - you will need it.

Jcommon
you wrote "CHARGE for extra curricular activities" well we just discussed in our sociology class that if you raise the fees for the activities, then the aid the state gives will go down. Same with raising the registration fees, the state aid the school gets will also go down. There is a lot of red tape and everything is a doubled edged sword. If you do one thing your going to lose something else.

And to everyone who is blaming Mr. Deery, step into his shoes once. He is making very tough decisions that will affect everyone. By not passing this referendum teachers are going to be cut as well as sports. Teachers who have just bought a new house, and have a new-born baby for example. I believe the voters made a mistake, although I cannot speak for everyone because everyone has their own individual situation.

Why can't the teacher and administrators take a pay cut? Let's see an open records request on what they really make. Don't forget to add in their benefits. People all over this state have taken huge pay cuts. Why should the kids suffer for the administration and school boards inability to make good spending decisions? I keep hearing about how it will only raise our taxes $40 the first year but that is on a $100,000 home. Ours is well over that so let’s double that $40 now we are looking at $80 for the first year. I had to take a 4% pay cut, pay more for my health insurance and my husband lost his job. When does it end??

formerscribe: I would be glad to donate a night out to any school district. If I itemize, this is what I need to donate: McDonald's double-cheese ... $1.00, McDonald's small fries ... $1.00, McDonald's small Coke ... $1.00 --- that equals $3.00. Hmmm ... Okay, I will also throw in two McDonald's cherry pies ... $1.00. Where should I send my $4.00? On another note, are Brodhead extra-curricular fees comparable to other school districts? Anyone know?

I think sports like baseball, softball, and track will be cut for sure since they do not generate revenue since they do not charge admission. Basketball, football, and maybe volleyball will be kept since they can charge admission. If parents think sports are what makes the world go around, then leave to go to Evansville or Orfordville or wherever you want because we do not need you. This is coming from a team captain in baseball and football in H.S.. Sure, it is nice to have these sports, but it is not the end of the world. Get back to the basics of teaching and not all the extra-curricular activities because, to me, the school systems the past 15 years or so have gotten soft and demanding more extra-curricular activites more so than when I went to school. I do feel sorry though for the 7-8 teachers that are likely to get cut, but teaching jobs are a little easier to come by vs. other job fields. Also, charge more to the parents whose kids are in sports, say 50 bucks per sport up to a limit of 150 bucks per child or 300 bucks per year per family. Also, students do NOT need new uniforms and athletic eqmt. every 3-4 years, more like every 10 years. Take care of the eqmt. and uniforms and they will last more than 4-5 years. Maybe I should run for super. or principal? Simple economics 101. Good luck!

Finally,
Voters who stood up against these "needed" referendums. Maybe some other communities in the area will start doing the same by voting no for these bogus referendums.
I am really sick of the old addage. "but what about education" and "what about the children". Looks to me like the only things
that need to be cut are sports not education and what happens for some families when their taxes are so high that they can't even feed their children.
I love the idea by timewas. CHARGE for extra curricular activities. formerscribe, have you donated 100 bucks to your district? If not,
then please don't tell me what to do with my $100. Whether it is state funded or locally funded it is still OUR MONEY. There is no 'magic fund'
that keeps on growing without increases in taxes. These public paid employees need to start realizing that and need to budget using the money they have,
not the money they want.

Freebird
What are you talking about?
Brodhead balanced their budget the last six years by cutting $200,000 a year.
Again you focus on Deery - what's your problem with him? This is a symptom of a statewide school funding problem that all schools with declining enrollment are dealing with.
"No clue on how to reduce costs?"
Brodhead articulated exactly how they would cut costs if the referendum failed.
"The problem with Brodhead is that they do not have the right man for the job and they need to reevaluate there (I think you meant their) school board for following this super and not forcing the cuts that needed to be done."
Do you pay attention? The District identified exactly which cuts would need to be done. They understood the damage this would do to the community and asked voters whether they wanted these cuts made or would pass a referendum.
Nobody wants higher taxes but don't misrepresent the reasons behind the need for the referendum - factors that have nothing to do with the administration's ability to live within their annual budget.
Hmmm... Where does a District get its revenue? Let's see... The state (equalization aid) and local taxpayers. When the state delivers less revenue, local taxpayers are forced to make up the difference. When that isn't enough, Districts are forced to go to referendum or make drastic cuts.

I think this vote reflects community dissatisfaction with the administration and Board in general. This referendum would probably have passed with a different person leading the charge. Changes need to be made at the top and the people of Brodhead will vote in the affirmative. Brodhead loves their children.

GOOD FOR THE TAX PAYERS! WAY TO STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO SURVIVE BY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW HOW TO BALANCE A BUDGET! Looks like people of Brodhead should start looking at a new super since this one has no clue on how to reduce costs. Maybe in his schooling he should of taken Bus 101. The problem with Brodhead is that they do not have the right man for the job and they need to reevaluate there school board for following this super and not forcing the cuts that needed to be done.
Plus I would like to say the tax hike would of been $576.00 a year for a person who has a $100,000 dollar home on it's final year, that is way to much. Plus, I was told that the school board needs to give directions to super not the other way around.

This issue really has very little to do with schools not being wise with their budget and more to do with a very poor system of funding schools in this state. You would be hard pressed to find any district that hasn't or isn't going to face a similar problem as the one in Brodhead. It's only a matter of time before the funds dry up and more money is needed.

I laugh at those who state it's always about the teachers whining and the lack of work they do. We'll pay millions upon millions of dollars for sports and entertainment stars, some of which are so poorly educated they can barely put together a coherent sentence, but when it comes to the people who are educating our future, we expect them to work for less and just "deal with it." Walk a mile in their shoes and your tune will likely change.

I go back to my previous comment. Instead of going out ONE time in the next year, take that money and give it to the school district to help them out. You're going to be sorry when the cuts come, good teachers are let go and extracurriculars (not just sports, mind you, but all extracurriculars) are cut ... what do you have left in Brodhead without the school? It's like most small towns, you would just have a small town with rising taxes because the school either dwindled down to nothing or just went away altogether. I'll be very curious to follow this story, although I pretty much know how it's going to turn out already.

Hopefully this vote sends a message to the Brodhead School Board (and other school boards) that you can't blackmail voters.

Had the district simply said that the district has some of the lowest taxes in the area, and because of the state's insane formula for funding schools we need more money or we'll have to make some serious cuts (including reducing sports and dramatically raising fees for others), they would have had a much better chance of getting this approved.

Instead, they threatened the nuclear option of cutting all extra-curriculars, specifically trying to play on both fears that students will go to other schools and fears that Brodhead will lose part of its identity without High School sports (which is true of all small towns).

How many other districts have made this same threat, and how many of them have actually followed through? Its just not credible, and people are smart enough to see through it. And when residents don't believe the school board is being honest about what will be cut, they aren't going to believe they are honest about really needing the money or that they district has really done all it can with the funding they have to work with. That was a big reason I voted no, and I know many others who felt the same way.

Mark my words, the district will make cuts, but magically they will find some money to keep most sports "for one more year" and they will go back to voters asking for money again next year, and the year after, until they finally get 51%.

Wait until the voters discover that their taxes are still going to go up (if the Board and administration were serious) because students who participated in athletics and music in Brodhead will be forced to open enroll out to other districts and the declining enrollment trend will accelerate. That means Brodhead looks richer in the state formula (more property value per student), gets less equalization aid, and taxpayers foot more of the bill. Do those 1,000+ voters realize they just voted to cut extracurriculars AND raise their taxes? Not a very well-informed group of people. I am especially amused by those who argued that this is a local issue caused by "Brodhead schools not living within their budget." Right, the system Wisconsin uses to fund its schools works just great. Why are other area districts (Albany, Black Hawk, Orfordville Parkview) and several others throughout the state forced to look at referenda - I thought this was a Brodhead problem. Brodhead HAS lived within their budget and cut $200,000 a year for six years to do so. Let the children of Brodhead suffer the consequences - nothing spurs economic growth like a school system in decline because of a lack of taxpayer support.

When will the teachers become more efficient? Every business and manufacture has become more efficient except the teachers union. The teachers want more and more while doing less. If the UAW would have bargined for a reasonable wage, GM Janesville would probably still be operating. When have Unions ever done long term good?

Seems like a low turnout for such an important issue.

Until the state figures out a way to stop attaching property taxes to school funding, stories like these are going to be more and more frequent ... it's a sad state of affairs when a community can't pony up the extra tax money to take care of schools and education ... what was the tax impact, an extra $40 a year? An extra $100? That's a night out on the town ... I'm an unemployed grad student with tons of debt and all kinds of questions about my future, and I'll gladly pay extra to keep schools on the right track ... for all the crap we pay taxes for and get nothing in return, taking care of education seems like a no brainer to me ... and one other poster had it right on the head, with all the expected defections from the BH District, you folks can expect to see your taxes go up, up, up ... if the School Board is smart, it will START its cuts with the extracurriculars to really make a statement. Maybe then the taxpayers will wise up. Where I live right now, that district is facing a similar fate down the road and it's not going to be pretty ... a real sad state of affairs.

Things usually have a way of working themselves out. I'm not giving up on Brodhead yet.

In the end it's the kids that lose no matter what if any thing is cut.

Be careful what you wish for Brodhead. When all the families leave, taxes will go up. Good luck with that.

I guess the school board better get their pencils sharp. Personally, I think they can cut some other expenses "then ALL the extra sports, chorus, etc." they have said they would cut. We will see what is important to our administration and school board members. Good luck teaching school tomorrow!

I'm sure some activities will be saved somehow, but the district will lose students regardless.
I would bet that a good number of parents/students will go elsewhere and are not going to stick around to see what the school is going to do.

Seems to me there are three ways this can go:

1. The school board is not serious about cutting athletics and other extracurricular activities, and finds other things to cut.

2. The school board is serious about cutting all extracurricular activities. However, after beginning the year with no activities, Brodhead voters come to their senses and pass a referendum in November.

3. Goodbye Brodhead schools and city of Brodhead, within the next 10 years. Seriously, without decent schools, why would anyone live there? What is left will be, ironically, absorbed into Albany and Juda. What a turnaround.