11-24-15 mayville-horicon school consolidation meeting

Residents and officials from the Mayville and Horicon School Districts filled the Mayville Middle School Auditorium Monday night to learn more about the financial and legal aspects of a potential consolidation of the two school districts at a joint meeting of the school boards.  Mike Clark from Robert W. Baird laid out fiscal projections for both districts and then compared that data with fiscal projections of a consolidated district.  Generally speaking, the projections show that on their own, both districts will continue to run deficits, with expenditures outweighing revenue.  These projections don’t take into account cuts the districts make to gain a balanced budget.  Clark says a consolidated district would initially run a surplus, as the state provides consolidation aid for five years.   For taxpayers, Clark says the estimated mill rate impact projects that rates would slightly increase for Mayville and slightly decrease for Horicon- again, based on the districts standing alone versus consolidating.   Following the meeting, Mayville Superintendent Pat Antony and Horicon District Administrator Gary Berger agreed that the projections seem to be positive, however there are many more questions than answers at this point- most notably, what’s the next step in the process, if there is even a next step.   If both school boards approve of pursuing consolidation, and if the boards decide that a vote by the public is necessary, the earliest a referendum could be held would be during the April 2016 election.  But given the sentiments expressed by both school boards Monday night, at this point that seems unlikely.

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