School Budget Approved to Go to Voters

Board of Education Vice President Pat Rowe and President Lisa Ellis both talked about the difficulties the state legislature recently put on the district's budget process Friday night at a hearing for approving the submission of the school budget to the voters of Madison.

It was only a little over a week ago that the state announced it would reduce aid to schools, with Madison receiving a 100 percent cut. The district had been preparing for a 15 percent cut before the announcement.

Ellis also said that all three staff unions, teachers, administrators and facilities were asked to sign a one-year agreement for a wage freeze for the upcoming school year.

"I heard back from Joe Cecala facilities, they have accepted," Ellis said. "We look forward hearing from the other two."

Ellis added that it is a very difficult time through no fault of the employees or the BOE. Madison Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard Noonan said there would be 16 district positions either outright eliminated or with a reduction in hours. The budget detailed on Friday night was consistent with Monday's presentation at the Board of Education meeting.

Though there was some talk about a second question in the budget to restore both the position of visual and performing arts supervisor, held by Stacy Snider, and the Madison Junior School's interscholastic program, the budget passed as presented with a 6-0 vote. Shade Grahling was the only board member not present for the vote.

Of the few residents who came out for the hearing, many spoke up in support of visual and performing arts supervisor position. Though there was some concern from the public on if having the sports program paired with the supervisor postion would be a detriment to the later, the board decided to keep the two paired.

"We have people who love the arts, like myself and people who love sports, like myself," Board Member George Martin said, saying that the combination would likely help the public say yes to the question.

Noonan confirmed that was the thinking behind pairing the two together.

Noonan has been consistent in saying the state did the district a disservice by announcing the aid cuts so close to when budgets are required to be submitted and voted on.

"The set of circumstances is very difficult for a school district and for people to know what's going is going on and why, and contributes to a lot of confusion," Noonan said in an interview with Madison Patch shortly after the state cuts were announced.

Rowe echoed those feelings in his statement, which he distributed to those in attendance.

"For the sixth year in a row, the process was more painful and compressed than in the past," Rowe said while reading the statement. "I would hope that next year the state would provide at least an extra two weeks to allow administrators and boards of education to properly build a final budget, with the state supplying us with the rules and regulations well in advance of the budget's due date, not up to and including the day of public hearing.

Rowe also chastised the state for the aid cut.

"There is something fundamentally unfair about an income tax system that was supposed to solve ALL our property tax problems, but which now has Madisonians sending tens of millions of dollars to Trenton yet seeing only 5 percent returned in the form of aid to the municipality and the school district (indirectly) to help 'cushion' property taxes," Rowe's statement read.

The budget will be up for vote on April 20, accompanying the school board elections. Both Rowe and Sam Cavaliere are running uncontested for seats.