GREENWOOD SCHOOL BOARD LOOKS FOR DIRECTION
Wednesday, January 5th, 2005 -- 12:05 PM
Leaders of the Greenwood School District will be looking for direction from the public at a meeting tonight at 7:30 in the Greenwood High School Cafetorium. The district?s Board of Education called this public forum to inform residents of their financial status and try to get a feel for public opinion as to which direction the school should go.With a budget projected to run $218-thousand in the red for the 2005-2006 school year, and their fund balances shrinking, Superintendent John Eitenmiller told WCCN the district has reached the point that they must make some major decisions?
"There is no more putting this off," Eitenmiller said, "We're to the point now where the future is now. Major decisions have to be made, or we're not going to be in busines."
The district is projected to run out of money in the 2007-2008 school year. There are a few options: the board could seek another referendum - although district voters have turned down their recent attempts; the district could make more cuts; or the school could look to consolidate with another district. Unless there is an newfound outpouring of support by residents to pass a referendum, Eitenmiller?s recommendation will not be to go that route.
"A referendum is a temporary band-aid. It is not a 'long-term' solution."
He says they have made so many cuts already that the next round of cuts would be painful nixings of popular elective programs that would probably push even more students out of the district.
The only long-term solution is consolidation, Eitenmiller says.
To that end, Greenwood has been meeting with Loyal and Neillsville with a joint meeting with the Neillsville school board slated for January 31st. The very earliest the consolidation could take place is 2007. Greenwood currently has a $4.5-million debt load, which any school they consolidate with would have to absorb.
Again, the public meeting is scheduled for tonight at 7:30, but seeing many people will be attending the services for Todd Olson in Loyal, the Greenwood school board also plans to hold a forum on January 17th at 7:30.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.