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Schools waiting on Nov. 8 vote

Published 11:13am Tuesday, October 25, 2011
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Austin Public School staff are waiting to find more space for the district, depending on the outcome of the Nov. 8 referendum for $28.9 million for a new fifth and sixth-grade school and a Woodson Kindergarten Center expansion. Whether that means planning for a new school or leasing space and raising class sizes will depend on voters.

“We haven’t done anything at this point,” Mark Stotts, Finance and Operations Director said. District officials don’t want to commit to one course of action until the referendum is decided.

If the referendum fails, district officials would have to find more space fast and the district could have several options. One of those could be incurring more lease costs, which the district can levy for without taxpayers approval. Though taxes would rise, it wouldn’t be as much as the $28.9 million referendum. The district can levy for up to about $752,000 in lease costs and is currently incurring a little more than $300,000 for various leases.

That extra money could be used to pay for a Woodson expansion, as there are about 396 students at Woodson this year and more expected on the way. Woodson officials are using every available space for classrooms this year and any more students would mean class sizes would increase to more than 20 kindergarteners per class.

According to Stotts, if the district chose to levy the extra $400,000 over several years to pay for the Woodson expansion, it wouldn’t be able to lease more property, which wouldn’t solve the district’s increasing elementary enrollment.

Class sizes would definitely go up, though in some schools class sizes are already fit to burst. Teachers are routinely seeing 30 or more students in a class at Ellis Middle School and elementaries are hosting larger-than-average classes as well.

“You have a tendency to have more disciplinary issues (in bigger classes),” Stotts said. “Teachers can’t give one-on-one time as much.”

Several schools are over capacity this year, most notably Woodson, which has 390 students, and Banfield Elementary School, which has about 580 students, 25 more than last year. Southgate Elementary School was over capacity last year and remains at about 537 students.

 

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  • factchecker

    With the city already telling us we will have a 14% increase in property taxes in 2012 and probably more to come in 2013-14 because of cuts to LGA and now the elimination of the Homestead Credit,… and now a 29 million dollar levy on top of the levy that was extended last year already in place….where is this going to stop!!?

    Stotts says the district has several options, I believe they should entertain those options first.

    Lets try to be fiscally responsible and stop piling on the burden.

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  • tldavids1961

    IS there anyone else in Austin that is getting tired of all the fibs from Austin Public Schools. I am voting No on this issue. These enrollment numbers are tempory at best. Other facts. I attended Austin Schools in the 60′s and 70′s. There was more enrollment then then there forecasting for the future now. But at that time the High School had not been expanded and added on to , Southgate,Banfield and Nevlyn had not been added onto then.Ellis had not been rebuilt bigger and back then they did not use Woodson at all. It was used by the Senior citizens. Also there was no issue in finding space when Ellis was closed for 2 years. So where has all the space gone ? Admin? Not sure but I am tired of the un truths.

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    • adherald

      I agree with the previous comments. If the Austin Public Schools are so cramped for space, move the 9-12 grades to one half of the current High School mansion and the 7-8 grades to the other half. Then we would now have room for as many grade level as we need at Ellis. Prior to the expansion/renovation of the High School, (in the 60′s and 70′s) this facility house more than double it’s current occupancy.

      It seems every election cycle the public schools are asking for yet another referendum without exploring other options. And if by the people’s choice it fails, they come right back on the next election. There should also be a minimum number of years before we are asked to revisit the same question over and over again. For example; should we be voting on the City Charter again this election cycle because it did not go the way I wanted it to?

      I too, will be voting NO! on this re-occurring tax. Please consider this issue carefully. And don’t worry, if it fails, you will be allowed to reconsider it again in next election cycle and the one after that.

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  • cooper

    I will also be voting no on this. Im glad to see that some of the people of this town have this district figured out. There are other ways of dealing with the PROJECTED numbers of students. I dont think that this district or the city of Austin can handle anymore taxes.

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  • highway105s

    FINALLY! Just when I think the school district will get their way in pushing this referendum on us, I’m refreshed to find other sensible voters that will be placing their no votes along side me come election day. Agree that there has to be a better option!

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  • lmarreel

    What is wrong with all of you? Fibs from Austin Public Schools? Have you walked into a school lately? Before you call the schools liars, maybe you should spend the day in Woodson, with almost 400 Kindergardeners! Do you remember 400 students per class in the 60′s and 70′s? And Administration space? Do you honestly think that EDUCATORS, who choose their often thankless profession for the difference they hope to make in the world, who spend loads of their own money for the betterment of their classrooms and students, are asking the community for more money to make their offices bigger?

    You have to understand that each year, as your heating bills rise with the cost of oil, so do the heating bills of schools. As your grocery bill rises, so does that of the schools. As more people move into your house, your water bill goes up…..etc.

    And each year, public schools await the fate of their operating budgets on how the state will fund schools. (an often disappointing outcome) What isn’t funded, which is often inflation costs, unfortunately is passed on to our community. And when numbers rise, we should be celebrating! There are people actually staying! More residents mean a greater economy in our town which will only help our property’s value and our town’s worth!

    The bigger question on the table is why are you all letting the state continue to underfund public education? Why are you sitting around badmouthing our education system for trying to fund their NEEDS? If you want to really fix the situation, maybe you should be talking to your legislatures. Maybe you should be going to the polls to vote for people that will adequately fund education. Because you will find more “extra admin space” in the government offices than you ever will in public education!

    Shame on the citizens of Austin who vote “no.” You’ll see what happens when the district is forced to “entertain other options.” You have no idea how much students lose out when their class sizes spike. When creative programs are taken away.

    Do your job Austin. Be a citizen in a community. Get your facts straight and vote “YES”

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  • cooper

    Dont tell me shame on me. I might know alittle more than you think. And maybe you should be ashamed of your self for being swayed into the adminstrations way of thinking. I have voted for people that say they will fund education. How many of these admin. people live in Austin how will it effect thier taxes. It wont.

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    • lmarreel

      Administration has never “swayed my thinking.” My conscience sways my thinking. I have always been, and always will be swayed by what is best for kids. I am an educated American, a proud Catholic, a teacher with experience in both public and parochial schools, a mother, and a citizen of Austin who believes in education and wants to live in a town that supports it fully. I will never take shame in that. I urge people to not punish KIDS for whatever issues you may have with administrators. Maybe you should address your anger for administration with administrators, not by passive aggressively voting against something vital to our children’s educational growth!

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  • cooper

    I have not formed my vote on just the admistration. I have also seen the wasted money year in and year out. Like I said before most of the reasoning that is being used is PROJECTED numbers. Lets build a new school and the projections are wrong then what? You have empty buildings….I admire the teachers in this district they do an outstanding job but I really dont see how a brand new building will help that problem. We need to close the open enrollment, Make Woodson into a full grade school and get back to the nieborhood schools. That sounds a whole lot better than spending 29 million dollars on a new building.

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    • lmarreel

      Neighborhood schools are at their capacity too. There is more to all this than shifting kids places. That involves a lot more money each year determining what will be shuffled and where to stick extras all the time. Kindergardeners are at one school for many reasons. They can ride busses without big kids, teachers can collaborate, flexible grouping is more of an option. It is a Kindergarden CENTER. Research those benefits. Same goes for mixing middle and high school. There are more student benefits than you can imagine for the way the district groups grades.

      Vote YES everyone. Numbers this year are over projected numbers, projected just last year. Why wait and wait? Being prepared allows schools to focus on kids and not space during a school year.

      Let me remind you all, we are not adding a 30 million dollar tax. We are simply extending an expiring one….that is already part of your tax dollars, and upping it a bit. VOTE YES AUSTIN!

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      • cooper

        No they are not. Walk into Summner and tell me it is at its limit. I know that it is not at capacity. The other news paper is saying something differnt than what your are saying about taxes. They will go up. I do encourage the people of Austin to listen to both sides and then Vote NO.

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    • jillt

      In regard to Cooper, You are right in that property taxes will increase a bit. However, if the district doesn’t pass this referendum, they will have to find space wlsewhere. The cost of that result will be more money from your pocketbook, than the result of passing this referendum. Also, Yes, Sumner is in a good position as far a space goes. This is due to the schedule change and a number of families choosing other schools. Sumner seems to be at a place that ALL elementary schools should be at as far as class sizes go. And I believe the kids at Sumner are benefitting greatly from their situation. However, the space issue is not based solely on projected numbers. Currently, I know that Ellis and Banfield are way over capacity; classrooms being made in the school library for one. And Woodson is also beyond capacity currently. My son has 24-26 kids in his classroom every day. THAT is not an appropriate ration for kindergarten. So consider your alternitives for tax increases…you want to pay a little now? Or a lot more for leasing space? And I will be voting YES on Nov. 8. I hope you will too.

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    • jillt

      Do some research on the benefits of having a “Kindergarten Center”; the benefits of kindergartners learning with kindergarteners; benefit of those teachers working collaboratively; benefits of kindergarteners on their own buses. What is the benefit in comparing the issues now to the issues in the 1960′s? That is just a waste of our time. I’m so sick and tired of the complaining that goes along with supporting the future of the community. Meaning, where’s the anger and uproar over the garbage service increasing rates? Where’s the anger over gas prices increasing, or you electric bill. This is something you have control over, and if you don’t vote YES, then it WILL cost you. It will cost all of us because these kids that you so lovingly are (NOT)supporting, will not have what it takes to learn in a safe environment. They will not have the needed instruction from a teacher because there will be 35-40 kids in a classroom. I hope that your child or the children that mean the world to you are good students. If not, they will spend the rest of their childhood years struggling to keep up and have a good chance of failing. Best of luck to you.

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  • jillt

    There seems to be more concern about keeping a prof. football team in MN and giving them a new stadium to play in than whether or not our kids can have a classroom to learn in. And if I’m not mistaken, Mower Co. has the lowest home owner property taxes in the state of MN. However, that alone is not a reason for voters to say Yes to the referendum. The alternatives are not just unappealing, they are unacceptable. How will you feel when your child is sitting at the mall trying to learn math or learning English. It’s not just that’s it’s an unacceptable learning environment, it’s also clearly very uncontrolled and unsafe. I will not send my child to the mall for eight hours every day. And, ultimately, the cost of leasing a space of any sort will come from your pocketbook at a greater cost than it will if we pass this referendum. So, if you think this refereendum is a bad idea, perhaps the school board meetings the past year or so would have been a great platform for your much more fiscally responsible solutions. Chances are, we all are more willing to pay more for something we are able to enjoy immediate results from; our cars, houses, entertainment, etc. But if we don’t pay now for our children’s education, we will all pay dearly for it in our futures.

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  • cooper

    jilt You are doing a great job of using every quote that has been in the papers or out of the mouth of most of the admin. people. I am fully aware of the situation at Banfield and Woodson. I still feel that this district need to Close the kindergarten center and make it into a full grade school. Thus taking some of the pressure off of the other building. I am voting no because this district cannot take care of the buildings that it has. Tile floors that need to be fixed or replaced NO MONEY. Stalls in bathrooms that need to be fixed. NO MONEY. there are other things that I could list. Now please explane how this district expects to take care of and supply another building with the same money. WITH THE SAME AMONT OF MONEY. How are kids supposed to learn in buildings that are falling apart around them? Lets take care of what is here first then talk to me about building another building.

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    • jillt

      My words are not quotes. My words are taken from information given to me based on current facts. I can accept that we will not agree on this topic. People are very passionate about what they believe and there is a lot of evidence in these posts. So how about we encourage people to get out and exercise their right to vote and make a difference, regardless of what that vote may be. Be an active citizen in the community.

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  • cooper

    Jilt you finally said something that we both can agree on. If you dont vote you dont have the right to complaine. Get out and vote people one way or the other.

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