By Joanna Miller, Staff Writer

The Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board took a hard look at the work it will have ahead if two levy referendum requests fail in November.

Led by consultant Dennis Cheesebrow of TeamWorks International, the board spent Monday’s (Sept. 29) workshop reviewing the “what if” questions that it will face if a total of $9.35 million in tax levy funds aren’t approved.

If the first question to renew the $7 million levy and to add $1.65 million to the budget fails, the board would potentially need to cut 117 staff positions.

It also would consider closing one school, adjusting attendance times to four days per week or split shifts, and increasing class sizes. As well, walking distances could be increased again by another half mile to the maximum state guideline. Course options, as well as cuts to athletics and activities, were also suggested as potential places to slash the budget.

Superintendent Sue Ann Gruver said the failure of the second question, which asks for $700,000 for additional staffing, would even further increase class sizes. Passage of the second question is tied to approval of the first question.

If the levies fail, the board would look at a six-month, short-term crisis management plan to undergo a complete redesign of early-childhood education through 12th grade.

All board members agreed that they would work to minimize the impact to learning as much as possible.

Board Member Michael Murray asked if board members should consider no longer toeing the line with the budget, which they have worked to bring out of a deficit, if they are short funds.

“Do we go into the red?” Murray asked.

“That’s what happened 10 years ago,” Board Member Eric Pratt said, “and it caused us 10 years of pain.”

To compound budget woes, Murray is worried that parents may seek out other options for educating their children, taking associated funding with them.

If the levy passes, the district will be able to maintain its existing status and keep class sizes in line; it’s not about adding new programs, the board agreed.

“We went through three years of cuts, and this isn’t about bringing back anything we’ve cut in the past,” Pratt said.

If the levies fail, the board would develop a student retention strategy as well as look at ways to hold onto staff members through employee retention.

“[With] a boat that’s taking on water, people typically start to jump ship,” Murray said.

Murray suggested there may be an opportunity for a gifted and talented academy in the future to retain students.

Gruver said that would be something to revisit for 2009-10.

She also said if the levy passes, it would rejuvenate the community’s spirit with an attitude of “we can do this.”

Should the levy pass, the board agreed its goals would include maximizing the dollars offered in a conservative way. Either way, board members emphasized there is a need to rebuild trust in the school district and the board.

Governing body

Cheesebrow said the board should not only come to the public when it needs funding, but it should continually offer the public opportunities for input.

“What’s the next key issue to engage the public?” is one way to continue conversation with the community, he said.

Cheesebrow asked the board to look at the differences between governance and management.

“The public generally believe you’re elected for management,” he said.

However, the role of governance includes an oversight of the administration, which handles management issues, he said.

Coming from a corporate background, Cheesebrow said schools can’t operate like a business.

“Businesses fail too much, and you’re not allowed to fail,” he said.

Cheesebrow said it can be encouraging when a board doesn’t pass items in 7-0 votes all of the time, because it means there is good discussion going on.

With the levy discussion, Pratt said he thinks the board members seemed to unite.

“Philosophically, we’re aligned,” he said, as the board agreed those items were key to moving ahead.

Referendum information sessions

The public will have a chance to get information from the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board about the upcoming referendum during two informational sessions, at 6:15 p.m. Mondays, Oct. 13 and 27, at the District Services Center, 4540 Tower St., Prior Lake.

  Joanna Miller can be reached at (952) 345-6375 or jmiller@swpub.com.