PRESCOTT – There was a common thread in just about everything Prescott School District Superintendent Dr. Rick Spicuzza presented to the school board at its meeting Wednesday, April 19. His message was loud and clear: The Wisconsin Legislature needs to do something to help local school districts balance their budgets.

The meeting was the final one for Steve Sizemore, who has served on the board since 2014. Board President Mike Matzek presented Sizemore with a plaque honoring his service to the school district at the onset of the meeting.

“Nine years on the board with you, I’ll say this, over those nine years, there have been a lot of partnerships with the community, the administration and the school board. We’ve accomplished quite a bit. It’s been pretty amazing. You’ve been an excellent fit for the board,” said Matzek.

Sizemore said contrary to some rumors in the community, he’s not leaving because he’s unhappy.

“It’s not because I’m frustrated,” he said. “It had nothing to do with anything in the district. It was a personal decision.”

Said board member Tanya Holub, “I learned a lot from you. I appreciate your leadership and all you’ve done.”

Sizemore is being replaced as of the May board meeting by Helen Stoeckel, who ran unopposed for the school board seat in the April 4 election.

Much of the work of the board meeting was making decisions to take care of staff in a time when every district has employment shortages.

The school district gave Spicuzza the go-ahead to offer a 5.4% salary and benefit increase to licensed staff for the 2023-24 school year. In addition, stipends were approved for building site leads in the short-staffed custodial department and for teachers who will be packing up classrooms. At the start of the next school year, grades 6-8 will move to what is now the Malone Intermediate School, and grades 4-5 will move to what is now the middle school building. Teachers will need to prepare for the building swap.

Spicuzza stressed that the district needs to do all it can to keep its staff, despite the fact that it will be a tough budget year.
For the last three years, districts were able to balance budgets with federal COVID-relief dollars, but those are no longer available. On top of that, school districts likely won’t find out for months if the legislature is going to increase aid to districts.

“The biggest concern is public education and the way it is currently financed,” he said. “We have no additional dollars heading into next year.”

With districts receiving federal money, the state legislature hasn’t increased aid. The aid also isn’t tied to the Consumer Price Index, so it has lagged behind expenses. On top of that, the state has a $7 billion surplus. Spicuzza bemoaned the fact that lawmakers haven’t used that to help school districts.

“The $7 billion surplus, on the backs of students, communities, teachers,” said Spicuzza.

The district doesn’t finalize its budget until fall, but Spicuzza asked for a message of support to be sent to teachers and other licensed staff members.

“We need to invest in our staff who continue to provide some of the best education in the Middle Border Conference,” he said.

Spicuzza is hopeful that the legislature comes through with funding to help in the short term, as well as developing a long-term solution to help school districts. The district may have to fall back on some of its $6.5 million fund balance to pay some expenses this coming year if state aid falls short.

In future years, the district may be forced to go to referendum to ask for additional levy dollars.

Spicuzza said the pay increase would add an additional $800,000 to next year’s budget.

“It’s going to be incumbent on the legislature to move us forward. We’re hedging our bet,” said Spicuzza.

Spicuzza brought the salary increase proposal to the board prior to budget time because districts are starting to prepare for the next school year.

“We do believe it would be a great recognition of the work our staff has done,” he said.

Overall, Prescott School District is in better shape than most, because the community is growing.

“The good news for us is we’re steady in enrollment, but we’re not increasing. There are subdivisions that are going in, but the economy has slowed that progression,” Spicuzza said.

Board members looked favorably upon the plan.

“I fully support this decision. There certainly is the unknown. The bigger risk is not doing anything,” said Pat Block.

“We have a healthy fund balance. That’s why we have these kinds of things. Our staff deserves it,” said Holub.

Next year, without more money from the state, the district could be faced with cuts or a referendum vote.

“We’re basically saying we can’t sustain what we’re trying to do because the state is not giving us funding,” said Matzek. “Other communities have had successful referendums. It has to be said now. That could be an avenue we have to look at within the next couple years. I want to lay it out there now. It’s the direction we’re headed.”

“We’re going to have some tough decisions in the next couple years,” said Matzek.

Spicuzza urged community members to keep pressure on local lawmakers to solve the education funding problem.

“I have great faith in the Prescott community, and I don’t think the Prescott community would let the legislature get away with this,” he said.

Custodial stipends

There are currently 3.5 open custodial positions. The lead custodian at each building has been receiving a stipend of $600 annually since 2018. The board voted to double that to $1,200 “for additional work they’re taking on,” said Spicuzza.

The change would start July 1.

“It makes a lot of sense. These are the people within our district that make it so we can operate day to day,” said Holub.

Teacher stipend

The board voted to set aside $14,000 to be divided among 46 teachers who will be relocating as a result of the middle school and intermediate school swap.

Spicuzza said there is a very tight window for moving materials between classrooms, as both of the affected buildings will be undergoing construction projects this summer as well. With a shortage of custodial staff, teachers will be required to box up their rooms.

“We have a very tight window,” said Spicuzza. “We’d like to propose that we set aside $14,000 to address the excess time our licensed teachers are putting in above and beyond their workdays.”

Money will be distributed in September after the move is executed.

Food service lead stipends

The board voted unanimously to give lead cooks at each district building $250 this school year and $300 annually starting next school year.