In the News
Caledonia school district group holding petition events
LINDSAY FIORI lindsay.fiori@journaltimes.com | Posted: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:40 pm
CALEDONIA - Supporters of a Caledonia school district are holding petition signing events this weekend, part of their latest attempt to create such a district.
The Caledonia School District Steering Committee needs signatures from about 9,800 people, or 20 percent of those that voted in the last Racine Unified Board of Education election. Their goal is to collect the signatures by July 1, 2010, so the Unified school board could act on it next fall.
The petition is an initial step in a lengthy process to start a new district, which includes a public hearing and resolution by the Unified school board and a possible referendum in Caledonia. Petition signers do not need to live in Caledonia, said committee spokesman Austin Moore.
The steering committee currently has about 3,100 signatures, he said.
"Many people in the community don't even realize this effort is taking place," Moore said.
The group says a Caledonia district would give Caledonia residents more control over their schools, would lower property taxes and would improve academic achievement because the Unified schools in Caledonia have higher achievement rates already, according to a group flier.
The steering committee, which started in January and has 25 regular members, originally set a goal to have all the needed signatures by July 1, 2009. But at that time they only had 2,800 signatures after collecting them since January, Moore said.
Those signatures have been saved and will be put toward the 9,800 wanted by July 2010, he said.
"What we've learned is, since there is no official start date, signatures roll over," said committee member John Leiber. "So there's no starting over - we just continue on to meeting the next deadline."
Moore said much of the feedback he has gotten from community members has been supportive but several Racine Unified board members have said they would not support a Caledonia district.
Such a district would likely need some support from the Unified board, according to the school district creation process outlined in a 2008 report by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that performs public policy research.
There are several points in the school district creation process that ask for Unified board approval. For example, if the Caledonia School District Steering Committee gets the needed signatures, those will be filed with the Unified board, which must hold a public hearing on the issue and would then approve or deny a resolution outlining a Caledonia district's boundaries and share of Unified's assets and liabilities, which include things like buildings, land, pensions and more, the report said.
Even if the board continually rejects a resolution for a Caledonia district, it is possible for the school district to be created based on rulings from the state School District Boundary Appeals Board and a referendum vote in Caledonia, according to the Alliance report and the state Department of Public Instruction.
JT Letters to the Editor:
After nearly 50 years, it’s time for Caledonia to have its own schools
By Brian Dey
Caledonia School District Steering Committee
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 7:31 PM CDT
In 1961, when the Racine Unified School District was formed, Racine schools were among the very best in Wisconsin and the Town of Caledonia had a population of 9,800. Forty-eight years later, both have changed dramatically.
Caledonia, which became an incorporated village in 2006, currently has a population of 25,340 and, according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2005–2007 American Community Survey, has an estimated 6,780 children enrolled in school. According to Sunday’s opinion piece penned by Elizabeth Lampark, she states that important decisions should be based on facts, not misguided assumptions. According to the numbers she was provided with, 2,909 students were enrolled in RUSD from Caledonia in the current school year. If her numbers are correct and if the U.S. Census Bureau is correct, then only 43 percent of Caledonia children attend RUSD schools.
Sadly, more than 48 years later, Racine Unified School District is no longer one of the best districts in Wisconsin, nor one of the best districts among its 10 comparable districts, nor in southeastern Wisconsin. According to the 11th Comparative Analysis of Racine Public Schools, published by the Public Policy Forum, RUSD ranks dead last in every academic category among our 10 comparable districts and the Wisconsin Department of Instruction ranks RUSD 49th out of 50 southeastern Wisconsin districts, with only Milwaukee Public Schools performing worse than RUSD academically. These are not misperceptions or misguided assumptions, but well-documented, verifiable facts that have been provided by the Caledonia School District Steering Committee.
The plain truth is that the Racine Unified School District has grown to a point where it is no longer manageable. It is simply too big to be as effective as it once was, and is providing a below average education for not just the children of Caledonia, but all the communities it serves. Communities like Caledonia are paying in far more than is coming back through local school taxes. Twenty-four percent of all local school taxes collected by RUSD come from Caledonia, yet Caledonia gets an 11 percent return for every dollar spent.
The Steering Committee has tried to reach out to the school board and Dr. Shaw on numerous occasions to discuss the possible benefits; exactly the opposite of what Ms. Lampark has claimed. The Committee believes that this will be positive for both Racine Unified and Caledonia children and taxpayers.
Yes, this discussion should be based on fact, not opinion. The Caledonia School District Steering Committee stands by its statements. They are the culmination of independent sources, with nothing to gain from either vantage point. The only ones who will gain are our children, and it’s time that the Racine Unified School District Board of Education starts worrying about our children and not its own image.
Brian Dey, 5117 Briarwood Lane, Caledonia, is the president of the Caledonia School District Steering Committee, president of Caledonia Parks & Recreation Commission and a former Racine Unified School Board member 2005–2008.
Op Ed:
JT Letters to the Editor:
Commentary: Move to leave RUSD is the wrong move for Caledonia
By Elizabeth Lampark
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 5:58 PM CDT
As documented by Thomas Reeves in “Racine: Growth and Change in a Wisconsin County,” Racine Unified School District has its origins in the Wisconsin Legislature. In 1959, Wisconsin school districts were directed to provide high schools by either joining districts with existing high schools or by establishing one of their own by 1962. Accordingly, a Citizens’ Committee was formed in eastern Racine County to study school consolidation issues. The members eventually recommended the formation of a K-12 unified district. Their proposal was endorsed by the state Department of Public Instruction and the Racine City Council. Additionally, town and village boards representing 24 school districts unanimously favored the plan. On April 4, 1961, voters approved consolidation with a 17,415-15,083 vote, and people from all walks of life pulled together to create a successful educational system. For many years, RUSD maintained a national reputation for excellence. Presently, a group of Caledonia residents is engaged in a misguided, divisive undertaking that seeks to undo what previous generations established.
Important decisions should be based on facts rather than misperceptions. A misguided assumption of the secessionists is the belief that half of Caledonia children do not attend RUSD. This statement was repeatedly echoed throughout the recent campaign for secession. For example, a June 22, 2008, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article (Racine Section, page 3R) quoted village resident Kathy Burton as saying, “Residents who pay taxes into RUSD are paying for a service, but if half of our kids aren’t using that service, why not pay for one we’ll actually use?” Burton further stated in the same article that she had anecdotal evidence supporting her claim.
The following evening at Olympia Brown Elementary School, Dale Knapp and Todd Berry of The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance presented information regarding a secession feasibility study which was commissioned in 2007 by the Caledonia Village Board at a cost of $30,000. They estimated that 360 students residing in Caledonia attended private schools and 204 open-enrolled in other districts. These numbers are not insignificant, but are far short of the “one-half” myth. In fact, Caledonia enrollment in RUSD has increased in the last three years. In 2006-07, 2,373 Caledonia children attended RUSD. In 2007-08, Caledonia enrollment was 2,745 and, in 2008-09, official September enrollment of Caledonia residents was 2,909, an increase of 537 students.
The divisiveness of the secession movement is reflected in the rationale of http://suburbanracineschools.info, the Web site created by Caledonia residents promoting separation (The Journal Times, Jan.16, 2007, page 7A). The Web site states, “The taxpayers of eastern Racine County have poured millions of dollars into a system that has shown little or no positive impact. The lack of impact is compounded by the fact that many programs developed by RUSD are targeted to the children that reside in the city. The children of Caledonia, Mount Pleasant, Wind Point, Sturtevant and the other small communities are left to fend for themselves.” This incendiary rhetoric, infused with just-beneath-the-surface issues of race, class and poverty, implies that thousands of retired and current RUSD employees and Board of Education members have been incompetent and ineffectual for 47 years. Even more offensive is the suggestion that children in the City of Racine are in some manner different, that current and former students of RUSD have accomplished little or nothing, and that thousands of children have been “left to fend for themselves.”
Sadly, the secessionists have promoted division instead of unity and cooperation. Caledonians should neither reject RUSD nor alienate the city and then expect good will and beneficial agreements with the city regarding issues such as water/wastewater services, city jobs, and cultural amenities. A constructive step in redirection of their energy could begin with studying the example of community leaders in 1962.
Elizabeth Lampark, 5929 3 Mile Road, Caledonia, is a retired Racine Unfied School District teacher. She taught English at Horlick High School and Gilmore Middle School and was an educator for 33 years.
Coverage of RUSD / Caledonia Meeting (we can forgive the spelling error)
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/42239957.html?video=pop&t=a
Caldeonia Parents Frustrated By Racine Unified Schools
George Mallet WTMJ4
CALEDONIA - Dozens of parents turned out here Tuesday night in hopes of giving members of the Racine Unified School Board an earful. The parents want out of the school district to start their own.
With her 9-year-old daughter, Jacklyn, by her side, Jodi Payne said she has her children in private schools because the Racine Unified School District is a mess.
“I would guess, and I think it’s a good guess, about half of us are going to private schools right now.” Payne said.
Payne puts 28 miles a day on her car and spends $2,300 on tuition to send her daughter to Oak Creek’s Saint Matthew’s school. Overcrowded classrooms and an overwhelming number of students with learning and emotional problems have frustrated this young mother.
There were other frustrations for parent’s here Tuesday night. The so-called “link and listen” meeting was tightly controlled by the school superintendant and board members. There was no opportunity for parents to discuss secession.
“They don’t care about what we have to say,” parent Amy Dey said as she left the meeting in frustration. “They won’t even take comments. They won’t even answer any questions that we have. I had to get a sitter to go watch my daughter and this is just a joke.”
The Caledonia Village Board spent $30,000 to study the feasibility of a new, separate school district. The conclusion: the idea could work. But board president, Tony Baumgardt, said the Tuesday night meeting was not the proper venue for a discussion of secession. He maintains that the board won’t consider the notion until parents come up with the 9,700 signatures required by law to engage the board on the matter.
“I don’t really want to see the board or administration spend a lot of time going after something that we don’t know if there’s support for yet,” Baumgardt said after stepping out of the meeting.
Parents left the gathering undaunted. They vow to get the required petition signatures by July 1 in order to force the issue.
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/42239957.html
Caledonia parents vent frustrations
By Lindsay Fiori
Journal Times
Wednesday, April 1, 2009 9:29 AM CDT
CALEDONIA — Racine Unified officials met with Caledonia parents for two hours Tuesday night to discuss concerns about Unified and about a possible Caledonia secession from the district.
Parents met at Gifford Elementary, 8332 Northwestern Ave., for a Board of Education “Listening and Linking Session.” The board has been holding these sessions for the past two years as a way to connect with various parents and community groups.
About 40 people attended, which Unified Superintendent Jim Shaw said is twice as many participants as usual.
While most Listening and Linking Sessions feature just one large group, Tuesday night’s session broke attendees into three small groups to discuss questions provided by Unified.
“I liked the participation,” said Shaw. “Small groups allowed parents to exchange ideas. It was more open.”
A common theme in all the group discussions was district communication with parents. Attendees mentioned communication as one of the most important issues Unified needs to address, especially when, because of busing, a parent is farther from the school and may have a hard time getting there.
Unified’s reputation kept coming up in discussion as well. Parents said a poor reputation is part of why families leave the district.
Troy Watros, 36, of Caledonia, feels a Caledonia school district would have a better reputation than Unified, resulting in more students and funding.
“A Caledonia district would bring in business professionals,” said Watros, who works in Oak Creek and said his co-workers have negative perceptions of Racine and Unified. He said they view Racine schools as poor, violent and full of
disruption.
Watros said he hoped Tuesday’s session would have included more talk about a secession, but that the topics laid out by the district were “excellent.”
“It’s a great program they’re doing,” he said.
Session attendees were met at the doors by proponents of an independent Caledonia school district. About 15 volunteers arrived 45 minutes before the meeting to stand in the cold with a Caledonia School District banner, signs and stickers.
While Caledonia secession from Unified is a difficult process, advocates are collecting signatures for a petition. At last count, they had about 1,300 signatures, said Brian Dey, president of the Caledonia School District Steering Committee.
Kathleen Dugas, 52, of Caledonia, spoke in favor of a secession because of bullying problems in Unified, which drew emphatic nods from many in attendance.
“This is part of the driving force for secession,” said Dugas, whose 18-year-old son was jumped two weeks ago and says he is now afraid to go to school.
Dugas said Tuesday’s Listening and Linking Session was helpful, but that she would have appreciated more dialogue from school officials on solutions to the issues raised.
Comments from the meeting will be compiled and shared with the full Board of Education at its next meeting.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2009/04/01/local_news/doc49d379cede8f2633849503.txt
School Board to hold listening session for Caledonia parents
By Journal Times staff
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 5:20 PM CDT
CALEDONIA — The Racine Unified School District Board of Education announces a “Linking and Listening Session” for parents and guardians of Caledonia students at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the library at Gifford Elementary School, 8332 Northwestern Ave. All parents of Caledonia students are invited to the session.
The Listening and Linking sessions are a way for the Racine community to communicate with the Board of Education.
Reservations to attend the Caledonia parents’ Listening and Linking session are required and space is limited to only 50 participants. Reservations may be made by contacting Darlene Gallup at (262) 664-8715 or Darlene.Gallup@racine.k12.wi.us. Additional sessions will be held if more than 50 people are interested in participating.
Visit the Web site http://www.racine.k12.wi.us for more information.
School candidates weigh in on Caledonia secession idea
BY LINDSAY FIORI
Journal Times
Sunday, March 22, 2009 11:54 PM CDT
RACINE — Discussion on a Racine-Caledonia school district split has candidates for the Racine Unified School District Board of Education split, too.
Proponents of separate districts are compiling signature petitions to support a new district in Caledonia.
Incumbent board candidates Don Nielsen and Gretchen Warner are currently against a secession because no formal petition has been filed.
“In this era of shrinking financial resources, splitting up existing school districts is not in anyone’s best interest,” Warner said. “What we should be doing is actively exploring more ways in which we can work together.”
Nielsen said he would be willing to look more thoroughly at a split when the secession group can show they have the support of the majority of Caledonia.
Candidate John Leiber is ready to look at a split now. As the only candidate from Caledonia, he believes he brings a unique perspective to the issue.
“I would support a split if the facts show that both Caledonia and Racine benefit, which I believe they will,” said Leiber, who suggested Unified conduct a study to determine the results of a district split if Caledonia’s petition process is successful.
Board candidate Stella Young did not say if she supports the secession movement, but said Caledonia’s concerns are “well-founded.” She said the district needs to work with all its municipalities to create a “truly unified district.”
Racine secession group resets RUSD meeting
The Racine Post
March 13, 2009
The Caledonia School District Steering committee, which has proposed seceding from the Racine Unified School District, has invited the RUSD School Board, Supt. Jim Shaw, State Sen. John Lehman and State Rep. Robin Vos to a forum to discuss the creation of a Caledonia School District.
The meeting will be held on Monday, March 30, at the Caledonia Eastside Community Center, 6156 Douglas Ave. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the forum starts at 7 p.m. The public is welcome.
This meeting is scheduled in response to a desire to meet with the CSDSC expressed by Dr. Shaw and RUSD Board Members Julie McKenna and Dennis Wiser. The CSDSC also felt that it needed to meet with Sen. Lehman, chairman of the state education committee, and Rep. Vos to update them on the progress of the committee.
The CSDSC recently met with two candidates for the RUSD board, John Leiber and Stella Young.
The CSDSC will have a drive-in petition signing event Saturday, March 14, at the Caledonia Eastside Community Center. Anyone, over the age of 18, living within the Village of Caledonia and within the Racine Unified School District boundaries, is welcome to sign. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2.
http://kiosk.racinepost.com/2009/03/caledonia-secession-group-resets-rusd.html
Caledonia residents to kick off school district petition drive
By Paul Sloth
Journal Times
Saturday, January 31, 2009 9:16 PM CST
RACINE — A representative from a group of Caledonia residents told the Racine Unified School Board earlier this week that the group will continue in its effort to start a separate school district.
A committee of Caledonia residents has voted unanimously to pursue creating a separate school district in the community north of Racine, said Brian Dey, a member of the committee and a former Unified School Board member.
Now they have to gather signatures for their petition.
The committee will kick off a petition drive next month in an effort to gather more than 9,000 signatures needed by July 1 to begin the process, Dey said.
The steering committee has been meeting twice a month since the Caledonia Village Board received the results of a feasibility study in June.
The board paid the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance to study the possibility of Caledonia pulling out of Unified and creating a new school district.
The earliest a Caledonia district would start up would be 2011, which would be the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Racine Unified School District.
Because the Unified School Board did not initiate the process, the group needs a petition signed by 20 percent of the electors in Unified.
From there, the Unified Board would have to approve the separation. It would then go to a referendum in Caledonia.
The group plans to meet twice in the coming weeks, Feb. 9 and 16, before it starts gathering signatures. If the Unified board doesn’t approve the separation, the group could appeal the decision to a three-member state panel.
Dey said he has yet to hear from Unified School Board members regarding his group’s invitation to meet on their desire to secede from Unified.
“In the spirit of improving education for all students east of I-94, we feel both parties need to be part of the conversation,” Dey said recently.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2009/01/31/local_news/doc49851382bf18a353969188.txt
Unified should remain unified
Caledonia Village Board doesn’t think it should meddle in school district secession talks
BY BRIDGET THORESON
Journal Times
“Where the issue is somewhat gray here is the issue of spending money advocating either for or against Caledonia splitting off,” Geary said. “It’s not clear-cut either way.”
Geary said board members could express support for the actions of the steering committee of citizens working to create a new Caledonia school district, which is being put together by former RUSD board member Brian Dey.
Trustee Wendy McCalvy said she didn’t think the Village Board should be involved with the school board.
It isn’t proper for a political body to try to influence the schools,” McCalvy said. “I do think it’s supposed to be decided by citizens.”
The board and CDA members decided they would let the steering committee take control of the process, and have the committee report back to them about their progress.
In particular, the steering committee would need to get the ball rolling with the Racine Unified School Board, Trustee Lee Wishau said.
“We don’t want to go to the Unified School Board with some in-your-face attitude,” Wishau said. “We need to show how it’s positive for them and how it’s positive for us.”
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/07/08/local_news/doc4872d9afe2c8c757593725.txt#tp_newCommentAnchor
Struggle to stay unified part of district’s history
BY PAUL SLOTH
Journal Times
That’s the same year the United States jumped into the Bay of Pigs. The Vietnam War was on the horizon. Four years earlier, Sputnik had frightened education experts around the country, spawning a movement to improve education in American schools, especially high schools.
It was also a time when dozens of one-room schools dotted the landscape that Unified now covers.
They had names like Trautwein, Husher, Hoods Creek, Treadwell and Mygatts. The tiny schools, serving mostly kindergarten through 8th grade, each had their own school board.
The City of Racine had its own school district. Then someone had the idea to consolidate them all, which included dissolving some 25 districts and consolidating them with the city school system.
There were study committees. Action committees. Proponents and opponents. For five years people studied the possibility of this unified school district.
Many of the concerns from unification are chief concerns residents and leaders in Caledonia now cite for wanting their own school district.
There was concern about industry, orderly planning and development in the city and outlying areas. Jobs, qualified workers and taxes all were a part of the discussion.
A state law, passed in 1959, paved the way for consolidation of the community schools east of Interstate 94.
In fact, it compelled them to do something by requiring that all areas in the state be in a high school district by 1962. At the time, outlying school districts east of the Interstate sent their high school students to Racine schools and paid tuition.
There are currently 45 “unified” school districts in Wisconsin, out of a total of 426 districts, according to the Department of Public Instruction. Kenosha still uses the term “unified” in their name, but changed from a unified to a common school district during the 1994-95 school year. Districts can be unified, common or union, according to the state.
The consolidation of smaller county districts in the rural areas east of the Interstate had already started in the late 1950s, but the push to create a unified district in Racine started soon after the law was passed. The law was passed for this area, according to accounts from that time.
Racine County officials helped write the law and supported it in Madison.
George Hnilicka has listened with some interest to Caledonia’s secession talk. He’s been around as long as Racine Unified has.
Hnilicka, 81, was county superintendent of schools when Racine Unified was created and went on to work in the new school district as an administrator.
As county superintendent, Hnilicka actually issued the orders dissolving 25 school districts and creating a unified elementary and high school district that encompassed most of the area east of I-94.
He always supported the idea of a larger school district and what it could offer students, so talk of one community wanting to leave the district is a little disconcerting to the Racine native.
“I’m saddened because it was the whole concept of making a school district that would be strong and would be a leader in the educational field,” said Hnilicka, who moved from Racine to Mount Pleasant. “I’m sorry that it has not developed that way.”
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/07/07/local_news/doc487193916092b443557589.txt
The price of breaking away in Caledonia
Starting a school district would take 2 years
By HEATHER ASIYANBI
Special to the Journal Sentinel
Posted: June 28, 2008
Caledonia - Now that the costs associated with forming a new school district have been released, Caledonia residents will have to decide how to proceed, and officials said last week that it could take at least two years to secede from the Racine Unified School District and start a new district.
At a meeting last week at Olympia Brown School, the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance released the results of a financial feasibility study if the village should leave the Racine public school district and start its own. About 150 residents attended.
Given the money involved and the paperwork needed, the task, if residents choose to secede, will be complicated, according to the study:
• Residents first would need to ask the Racine Unified School Board to adopt a resolution agreeing to the creation of a new school district.
• If that's not possible, residents would have to present the board a petition signed by 20,000 eligible voters within the district.
• Should the Unified board still reject the proposal, residents would have to collect 10,000 signatures to present to the state School District Boundary Appeals Board, which would make a decision.
• Assuming an approval is issued at the state level, the process would continue into a referendum proposal for Village of Caledonia voters to decide. If the reorganization is denied by the state panel or fails at the polls, another attempt cannot begin for four more years.
• Once permission is given for a new school district, including new boundaries and division of property, the issue must be approved by the voters in the new school district. Racine Unified also has the right to ask for a referendum so voters throughout the district can vote on the issue.
Key issues outlined during the presentation included the cost of buildings, both for maintenance of current facilities and for a new high school; the assets and liabilities that would transfer from Racine Unified to the new district; tax effects; and state aid and revenue caps.
Racine Unified lists 2,745 children with a Caledonia residence attending Unified schools. The study assumed the district would begin with that number and grow. The study said about 360 Caledonia children take advantage of open enrollment in other communities, and 10% attend private schools. There are no numbers for children who are home-schooled.
Dale Knapp of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance said either Gifford or Olympia Brown elementary schools could be used as middle schools, and North Park could be kept as an elementary school. Caddy Vista, currently used as a Racine Unified storage facility, would reopen as an elementary school.
The one significant construction project Caledonia cannot escape is the need for a new high school, which could cost anywhere from $55 million to $75 million.
"This figure is designed to represent what it would cost to build a complete high school that includes desks, computers, lockers and books," Knapp said.
Caledonia residential property values account for about 24% of Racine Unified's total value. If village residents decided to move forward with forming a new district, Racine Unified would transfer 24% of both its assets, such as buildings and land), and debts into the new school district. Once liabilities are subtracted from assets, Racine Unified would end up owing the new district $44.5 million, the study said.
Getting that money is where things get a little complicated, Knapp said.
The Racine Unified School Board would have to agree to allow the new Caledonia district to move forward. Once that resolution is passed, Racine Unified would pay the new school district the $44.5 million immediately. It's important, Knapp said, to remember that during its first year of operation, the district would not receive any state aid.
That money would be used to put a $24.2 million down payment on the new high school; $14.9 million to replace state aid; $1.5 million for various other spending; and $3.9 million for a reserve fund.
Should Racine Unified not approve the reorganization and it takes two years for the new district to receive its $44.5 million, the new district would be forced to borrow $85.3 million to finance its upfront costs, as well as building the new high school, the study said. The study assumed that the new school board would use the eventual $44.5 million payment to pay down its debt, leaving a remaining $40 million debt to be paid.
Caledonia residents were divided about what direction to take. Some, like Wayne Rees, said the financial information presented supported the move toward a new district.
John Haumersen agreed and asked that the Village Board take the lead or work with residents to appoint a committee.
Joyce Hershberger said she would not sign a petition for a new school district because her children and now her grandchildren are getting a good education through Racine Unified.
Oak Creek school teacher and Caledonia resident John Kaplan told the audience that there's no guarantee a new school district won't be just as dysfunctional as the current district.
"We need to address the root causes of why Unified isn't working," he said. "How many people here will run for a seat on the new school board? Bricks and mortar don't make a school district."
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=766729
The secession process won’t be an easy one
BY BRIDGET THORESON
Journal Times Saturday, June 28, 2008 8:45 PM CDT
CALEDONIA — Regardless of what Village of Caledonia residents might want, in the end, a decision to create a new school district would be out of their control, according to one of the authors of a study released last week.
The state law that dictates the process for creating new school districts was designed for combining school districts, not breaking them up, said Todd Berry, president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance.
As a result, the process of seceding is "odd," he said.
"The Racine school board clearly holds more of the cards than anybody else," Berry said. "When you cut right down through it, if ultimately the Racine Unified School Board and the state-appointed board don’t want this to happen, the 20,000 to 25,000 people in Caledonia ... really don’t have any recourse other than the courts."
Odd or not, the process of breaking away from the Racine Unified School District to create a new district in Caledonia would no doubt be a lengthy one beset with a number of hurdles along the way.
Berry and his Taxpayers Alliance colleagues conducted the financial feasibility study on the possibility of Caledonia seceding and creating its own district. A presentation was made Monday at Olympia Brown Elementary School.
"From that meeting, it’s clear that a substantial number of people in a significant part of the school district want to change something, but they’re really at the mercy of forces that they can’t entirely control," Berry said.
"There’s a lot more flexibility for municipalities being created or altered than there is for school districts."
SUB: Control of one’s destiny
The earliest a Caledonia district would start up would be 2011, which would be the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Racine Unified School District.
Either the Unified School Board would need to begin the process, or a petition would have to be signed by 20 percent of the electors in Unified.
This would mean 20,000 signatures, based on the number of eligible voters in the district in the 2000 Census, according to the Taxpayers Alliance.
From there, the Unified board would have to approve the separation. It would then go to a referendum in Caledonia.
If the School Board did not approve, the matter could be taken before the state School District Boundary Appeals Board, which requires a petition from 10 percent of the electors, or 10,000 signatures.
If that many signatures were obtained, the matter would go to a referendum.
In both cases, once it gets to referendum stage in Caledonia, the Unified board could say that a referendum must be held in the rest of the district for approval.
This is the fourth time the alliance has conducted a study on splitting a district in 8 years, Berry said.
Although they’ve been approached about conducting studies on consolidating districts, they have yet to complete such a study, he said.
"That says to me that the desire for neighborhood and community local control is indeed pretty strong, and yet the statutes, and state lawmakers and officials, don’t accommodate that," Berry said.
"And assuming for a moment that every man, woman and child in Caledonia wanted to leave the district, this would be one of the state’s larger municipalities that really wouldn’t be in control of its own destiny as far as education goes, which is quite unusual."
No one has said creating a Caledonia school district is an impossible goal. But it wouldn’t be easy
SUB: Five years and counting
It’s been five years since Gary Olsen became involved in issues at the Shawano-Gresham School District.
At the time, Olsen had been asked to serve on a committee to find cost-saving measures for the school district northwest of Green Bay.
It turned out district leaders were looking to close the Gresham school, Olsen said.
"A group of us started meeting to find out what we should do," Olsen said. "I found the law that allowed you to create a school district."
Olsen and a group of other residents formed a group, Gresham Yes, to pursue secession and creation of a new school district. They were successful: The Gresham School District just completed its first school year after splitting from the Shawano School District.
Olsen serves as the first president of the first Gresham School Board. The year went well, Olsen said.
The two school districts are still working out an agreement over how each will split the assets and liabilities. The situation required the help of a mediator.
"It’s been a long process. We’re still not done," Olsen said. "You had your bumps here and there. The asset and liability split ... it seems to be the roughest go in the process so far."
SUB: An unusual case
What makes Caledonia’s case even more unusual is the fact that the School Board has not been involved.
In three other studies the alliance has conducted on splitting up school districts, the school boards played some part, Berry said.
In the Shawano-Gresham School District, for example, the school board adopted the resolution and let the citizens of Gresham decide what direction to take.
"The dynamic here is very different," he said. "The Racine board simply has not been involved."
As a result, the process becomes more tangled. The study contains a flowchart on the options for pursuing secession. It takes up five pages.
In addition, the requirements can be difficult to meet.
"There are several stages at which citizens might have to collect signatures on petitions, starting with the very first step, which could take over 20,000 signatures," Berry said.
"Twenty percent of a small district is one thing, 20 percent of a district that covers one of the state’s largest cities and two of the state’s largest villages, not to mention Sturtevant, is something quite different."
Paul Sloth contributed to this report.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/06/28/local_news/doc4866e7ca27acb468185936.txt
The long road to a new district
Journal Times, Saturday, June 28, 2008 8:45 PM CDT
-- Creating a new school district is a two-year process that could involve petitions, appeals and referendums.
-- If the process to create a new district is undertaken and the reorganization is denied, Caledonia could not initiate the process for another four years.
-- If reorganization occurred, the new Caledonia district could not consolidate with another school district, or have any of its territory attached to another district, for 10 years.
The only exception would be to undo the reorganization by consolidating with Unified.
-- A new Caledonia district would not receive state aid in its first year and would have to find other sources of revenue to replace the aid it would typically receive.
-- A Caledonia district would need to build a new high school at an estimated cost of $65 million.
-- Depending on how buildings are valued, Unified would owe a new Caledonia district between $35 million and $66 million.
Source: Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/06/28/local_news/doc4866e76644381703911979.txt
Former school board member spearheads call for secession
BY BRIDGET THORESON
Journal Times Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:41 PM CDT
CALEDONIA — A former Racine Unified School Board member is organizing people to get started on the process of seceding from Unified.
Brian Dey, whose school board term ended in April, began discussing the next step with village officials Monday night, immediately after the presentation on the financial feasibility of Caledonia seceding and forming its own school district.
“It’s going to be a tough sell, but I think it’s a lot more palatable than we all expected,” Dey said. “We now have the numbers, we now know that it is a possibility. It really is a very good possibility that this will move forward, and relatively quickly.”
Dey said he is getting citizens together to form a steering committee, which would likely become a political action committee. Dey began seeking people interested in joining a committee through online postings Tuesday, and he said he might set up a Web site in the next week.
For the first step of seceding, either a petition signed by about 20,000 people needs to be filed with the district, or the Racine Unified School Board adopts a resolution to consider the creation of a new district.
“The big key here is to try to get Racine Unified School Board to sit down and talk with us,” Dey said.
Tony Baumgardt, school board president, said although the board has not set any concrete plans to address the possibility of secession, board members are interested in understanding how the process would work.
“There’s a lot of questions that we have now that the report’s out,” Baumgardt said. “We need to engage, but we’re not sure how.”
He said board members are open to a conversation about Caledonia setting up its own district. Right now, he said, members need to understand how this issue fits into the board’s priorities.
The question being faced by Caledonia’s board members is what role they could play in the process, if any. The board commissioned the $30,000 financial feasability study, and the Community Development Authority had taken the lead in examining the possibility of secession. During Monday’s presentation, however, it was explained that municipal government has no official role in the process of seceding.
Village President Ron Coutts said a joint meeting of the Village Board and CDA will be held sometime during the week of July 7 to discuss the study, and whether there would be legal issues if board members got involved.
“What we’re hearing is that the citizens need to go forward to get the signatures,” Coutts said. “It seems like the process is, basically you’re at the mercy of the school board.”
Dey said he would welcome trustees remaining involved as the process moves forward.
“It’s kind of been a whirlwind,” Dey said. “This is all going to be new territory for us.”
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/06/25/local_news/doc486297baec9e0257981789.txt
Cheaper to stay in Unified, Caledonia residents told
BY BRIDGET THORESON Journal Times
CALEDONIA — Leaving Racine’s school district and creating a new district for the village would cost residents more than staying, according to a presentation given Monday night. Representatives from The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance gave the results of their financial feasibility study to a crowd of more than 100 people at Olympia Brown Elementary School, 5915 Erie St. “School finance is really, really messy,” said Todd Berry, president of the WTA. “I can’t say that enough.” The biggest factors to consider, he said, are state school aid law, revenue law, school construction and the division of assets and liabilities between the districts.
The village board had commissioned the $30,000 study last fall. “Education is really important. I feel it’s really important for Caledonia,” said Village President Ron Coutts. “That’s the first step to doing business in our community, is having a good education system.” Copies of the report will be made available for the public at the Village Hall, 6922 Nicholson Road, and the Web site, http://www.caledoniawi.com, Coutts said.
Dale Knapp, research director for The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, said student enrollment in the new district would be expected to increase for the first several years, as students who currently go to private schools or are open enrolling to other districts would come back. Knapp listed the four schools in Caledonia: Gifford Elementary School, 8332 Northwestern Ave.; North Park Elementary School, 4748 Elizabeth St.; the currently unused Caddy Vista Elementary School, 10010 Duane Court; and Olympia Brown. Gifford would house grades five through eight if used as the middle school. Olympia Brown would house grades six through eight. In each scenario the remaining three schools would be elementary schools. The big expense, almost all of the new expense of the new district, would be the construction of a high school. The cost of a new high school was estimated to be between $55 and $75 million, with a midpoint of about $65 million, Knapp said. Caledonia’s school assets outweigh its liabilities, according to the study. Based on the number of liabilities subtracted from assets, RUSD would owe the new Caledonia district somewhere between $35 and $66 million — a midpoint estimate of $44.4 million. Knapp outlined two scenarios — one in which the districts were able to divide up their assets and liabilities immediately, and one in which the districts disagreed about the amounts and the process took about two years. “This could be a long, drawn-out process,” Knapp said. Both scenarios cost more in property taxes, with the second initially costing more. In the first scenario, for a $100,000 home appreciating quickly in value, the estimated school property tax rate would be $8.07 per $1,000 of property value in 2008-2009, compared to $6.44 estimated for RUSD. In the scenario where it takes two years to sort out the districts’ assets and liabilities, the estimated school property tax rate would be $9.55 per $1,000 of property value. The earliest a Caledonia district would start up would be 2011. Either the RUSD board would need to begin the process, or a petition would have to be signed by 20 percent of the electors in RUSD. Knapp said this would mean 20,000 signatures, based on the number of eligible voters in the district in the 2000 Census. From there, the RUSD board would have to approve the separation, and it would then go to a referendum in Caledonia. If the school board did not approve, the matter could be taken before the state School District Boundary Appeals Board, which requires a petition from 10 percent of the electors, or 10,000 signatures. If they approved, the matter would go to a referendum. In both cases, once it gets to referendum stage in Caledonia, the RUSD board could say that a referendum must be held in the rest of the district for approval. “Your destiny’s really not completely in your own hands,” Knapp said. The village board would not have a role, Knapp said. “There’s really no official capacity for any part of the municipal government.” The questions from the audience featured a mixture of applause and censure for the idea of secession. For some, the process involved was daunting. “Quite honestly, it’s not hard to get better than the Racine Unified School District,” said Wayne Rees, 3153 Rudolph Drive. “I don’t think the Racine Unified School District board or the people who live in the city of Racine or in Mount Pleasant are going to help the people of Caledonia get their own school district.” John Haumersen, 8811 Foley Road, said the Caledonia Village Board should lead the way on this issue. “If you don’t want to do it then a group of volunteers which you would thus appoint would take over the leadership and absorb all of this information in detail,” Haumersen said. “It looks to me, being a (past) member of the school board, that this is financially entirely possible.” But others said seceding was not worth pursuing. Joyce Hershberger, 4722 Singing Trees Drive, said her two children, and now her grandchild, had received fine educations at Racine Unified schools. “This is not the business of the Caledonia Village Board,” Hershberger said. “I would like you to go back to the business of dealing with village matters.” Estimated mill rates, per $1,000 property value
RUSD Caledonia Caledonia 2*
2008-09:$6.44 $8.07 $9.55
2009-10: $6.63 $7.86 $9.49
2010-11: $6.48 $7.42 $7.46
2011-12: $6.29 $7.22 $7.06
2012-13: $6.23 $7.07 $6.92
2013-14: $6.18 $6.93 $6.79
2014-15: $5.93 $6.81 $6.69
2015-16: $5.91 $6.71 $6.59*
Caledonia 2: If it takes two years to divide assets and liabilities between the two districts. Source: The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance. Figures based on a home valued at $100,000 in 2007.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/06/23/local_news/doc4860734239c97842781356.txt#tp_newCommentAnchor
Caledonia residents seeking secession aren’t alone
BY PAUL SLOTH
Journal Times Sunday, June 22, 2008 8:51 PM CDT
Caledonia residents seeking secession aren’t alone. Other communities in Wisconsin seek to break away from larger school districts too, said Miles Turner, executive director of the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators.
In Wisconsin, the Shawano-Gresham, Middleton-Cross Plains and Monona Grove school districts have recently considered splitting. The Gresham Community School seceded on July 1 last year, but the other two districts did not split. There are many reasons why a community considers separating from a district and creating a new one. Some communities want their own identity.
Some are disillusioned with the current school system, Turner said. “Is it white flight? Some might want to create their own homogeneous population. You can’t ignore that that might be one of the possibilities,” Turner said. People enter the discussion about creating new school districts with some built-in assumptions: it will be more cost effective; the schools will be better. “That does not mean that Racine does not have good programs or good teachers,” Turner said. “It may be an unfair assumption that they’re going to get a better school by separating.” Urban schools face the threat of their suburban communities pulling out and trying to create their own school systems. Some of it may be evolutionary. Growth is a factor, especially the growth of suburban areas, Turner said. “This is a tremendously difficult issue for school boards and community members to tackle,” Turner said. “There is an issue that people need to recognize, we can’t, as a society, start to isolate and segregate students from each other.”
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/06/22/local_news/doc485dd49a14f24741493504.txt
Caledonia weighs school options
Results of secession study to be released
By HEATHER ASIYANBI
Special to the Journal Sentinel
Posted: June 21, 2008
Caledonia - Whether it's realistic for Caledonia to create its own school district could be answered Monday night during a special joint meeting of the Village Board and the Community Development Authority.
Results of a study conducted by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Association on whether Caledonia should secede from the Racine Unified School District will be released.
Kathy Burton, a village resident who collected signatures asking for the study, maintains that she is not in favor of any one option.
"If the study says we can do this, then it's imperative we get started right away," Burton said.
If the study reveals Caledonia is better off staying in Racine Unified, then Burton expects more involvement from the board.
"We need board members to rotate a schedule and attend Unified board meetings and act as the residents' advocate, take our concerns to them, be more a part of the process instead of letting parents address issues individually," Burton said.
Burton said she is an avid reader of the annual magazine declarations of the best places to live in America because each community at the top of the lists has great schools.
"We want Caledonia to be a great community where families can live, work and play," she said. "Consolidation made sense at some point, but that doesn't mean it still does."
Racine Unified board member Sue Kutz said there is a good education to be had in Racine Unified schools if the students and their families want it. She points to the test scores of students living in Caledonia that are several points above the state average.
"The test scores of our students who list Caledonia as their residence show that Unified provides a good education if a student wants it and is willing to work for it," she said.
Burton and Kutz have anecdotal evidence saying that nearly half of school-age children in Caledonia attend schools elsewhere. District figures show 2,745 children from Caledonia attend a Unified school.
"Residents who pay taxes into RUSD are paying for a service, but if half of our kids aren't using that service, why not pay for one we'll actually use?" Burton said.
Paying for a new school district is most likely what will decide the issue. Not only will Caledonia have to buy the Racine Unified buildings within village boundaries, it also will have to adopt curriculum, hire administrative and academic staff, purchase supplies and probably even take over a part of Unified's debt as part of any reorganization agreement.
There are at least four Racine Unified schools within Caledonia: North Park, Olympia Brown, Gifford and Caddy Vista.
According to the state Department for Public Instruction, it takes a minimum of two years to establish a new school district and get it operational.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=764259
The cost of secession Monday meeting to detail price tag on Caledonia leaving Unified
BY BRIDGET THORESON and PAUL SLOTH
Journal Times Saturday, June 21, 2008 11:28 PM CDT
CALEDONIA — Residents interested in seceding from the Racine Unified School District are about to learn what it would cost. Representatives from the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance will present their report on their feasibility study at Olympia Brown Elementary School, 5915 Erie St., at 7 p.m. Monday.
The village commissioned the $30,000 study last fall. The possibility of creating a new school district has apparently been on some residents’ minds for almost a decade. “This thing keeps surfacing all the time, and nobody has any real facts,” said Caledonia resident Kathy Burton. “We actually need to know the facts, and that will determine what we need to do.” Burton collected 500 signatures last year from people asking the village board to pursue the study. She started collecting signatures after the village did not pursue a referendum about the issue, which had been brought forward by the village’s Community Development Authority. “I think that there is a dissatisfaction with the school system, but more and more as Caledonia is growing and developing, we’re wanting to become our own sustainable community,” Burton said. “Good schools trigger good economic development.”
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/06/22/local_news/doc485dd4068a989734769478.txt
Suburban test scores higher Racine studies busing, secession
By DANI McCLAIN
Posted: Dec. 11, 2007
Racine Unified School District's suburban students have test scores similar to those of high-achieving Milwaukee and Waukesha County suburban districts, according to a recent analysis of how various Racine County municipalities fared on last year's statewide reading and math tests.
But when its scores are taken as whole, Racine ranks near the bottom compared with districts of like size. The report, released Friday and produced by S.C. Johnson's community leadership department, may have implications for two battles that have split the district for more than a year: Caledonia officials' decision to study the feasibility of seceding from Racine Unified, and the ongoing debate about whether to cast off the racial desegregation policy that mandates busing between the suburbs and the city of Racine. "It does show that education is working for a certain group of people," Jack Parker, Racine Unified's interim superintendent, said of the report. "Somehow we have to do better with people coming from low socioeconomic backgrounds." The study combines and averages the 2006 reading and math scores of students in nine districts, including Elmwood, New Berlin, Mukwonago and Brown Deer. The lower the percentage of students in the municipality or district receiving free or reduced-price lunch - a standard indicator of poverty - the higher the test scores, the report concludes. Nearly 43% of Racine Unified's student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. This puts the district's wealthier suburbs at a disadvantage, especially when it comes to promoting economic development, said Ron Coutts, Caledonia's village president. "I'm trying to bring commercial growth to Caledonia," he said Friday. "The businesses first look at location and the next thing is, 'What's the school system look like?' " Coutts said this latest study echoes what his constituents have long known about the importance of parental involvement. "If you have a caring parent, you have a child that gets a quality education," he said. "It takes a lot more than the teacher and the classroom to be successful." Parker said Greg Anderegg of S.C. Johnson gave him the report last month. It's unclear why the district didn't conduct the study in-house. Parker said a School Board committee charged with deciding how the district will redraw attendance boundaries will review the report. For nearly two years, the board has debated whether to retain its race-based policy, adopt one that attempts to integrate students of different socio-economic backgrounds or move to neighborhood schools. Parker said the committee will make a redistricting proposal to the full board in May. The board plans to redraw district lines for the 2009-'10 school year, he said.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=695868
Caledonia plans to budget for school district secession study
BY BRENDAN O’BRIEN JOURNAL TIMES
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 11:04 PM CDT
CALEDONIA — The money to study seceding from the Racine Unified School District will likely be in the village’s 2008 budget. During a special meeting Wednesday night, the Village Board indicated it plans to include $30,000 in next year’s budget, to pay for the study. The board, however, did not vote on whether to commission the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance for the job. The study would examine the financial feasibility of the village splitting from Unified, with Caledonia forming its own school district. Village President Ron Coutts said the board will vote on the measure Nov. 20 when it votes on the 2008 budget. “As we look at Caledonia and to bring some type of (commercial) growth here, the first thing we need to look at is our education system,” Coutts said. A handful of residents were present during the hour-long discussion about the merits of the study and of creating a Caledonia school district. “We need to know the answers ... that’s what the people are saying,” resident Kathy Burton said. “There is a want for this study to happen. Let’s do this study and figure this out.” The study will determine how much a school district will cost village taxpayers if the village opts to secede from Unified. The cost of the study would increase by $5,000 if the village wanted to analyze the impact the split might have on Unified. Brian Dey, the only Unified board member who attended, said he would support having Unified pay for that analysis. The cost would also increase if the village chose to study the impact a new school district would have on students who attend a private school or another public school in the area and whether those students would instead choose to attend within a Caledonia school district.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2007/10/24/local_news/doc4720159c32763527217750.txt
Mount Pleasant village president says board shows little interest in leaving school system
BY MICHAEL BURKE
Journal Times
CALEDONIA —As this village continues to ponder pulling out of Racine Unified School District, the next question will be: Does Mount Pleasant want to come along? Village of Caledonia officials plan to ask their Mount Pleasant counterparts if that village would like to be included in a secession study. The study would be performed by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, which has done three previous similar ones. The Caledonia Community Development Authority, which is looking at the secession issue, adopted a motion Tuesday to gauge Mount Pleasant’s interest in being part of a secession study. “Knowing if Mount Pleasant was in or out would, in effect, define the scope of services,” said Caledonia Village Administrator Tom Lebak. The committee discussion, he said, was that “it would be a more feasible district if we went with a similar-size neighbor, an adjacent neighbor.” The two villages already have a joint health department, some joint park programs and share a fire station, Lebak noted. However, based on past discussion, Mount Pleasant Village President Carolyn Milkie did not expect much interest from that side. Her board did discuss the matter earlier, she said. “I got the feeling the pulse of the board was, ‘No thank you, we’re not interested.’ I have never had a board member come to me and ask us to be involved.” Nevertheless, she said the question will go to the board for a decision. Dale Knapp, research director for the nonpartisan Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, said that group has done three previous secession studies: * In about 2001, a group from Cross Plains was considering pulling away from the Middleton School District. It was deemed not feasible to create its own district, and the matter was dropped; * Later, also in the Madison area, Cottage Grove was looking at splitting off from Monona Grove, over a disagreement over where to build a new school. The Taxpayers Alliance judged it could feasibly be done. Despite that, ultimately the two contingents came to an agreement, passed a referendum on building a new school in the Cottage Grove area, and they remained one district; * In the Shawano-Gresham district, Gresham citizens were worried about having a small school closed and instead considered breaking away. The Alliance said it could be financially feasible — but Gresham would be a very, very small district, and things could get harder over time. But last fall, Gresham voted to split. It elected its school board in April and will start as a new districton July 1. Knapp noted that Gresham will start with no money and have to borrow for its operations.
Unified Land in Caledonia Ideal Site for Suburban School Expansion
The Racine Unified School District is listed as owner of a 30 acre parcel of land in Caledonia that should be considered in any asset allocation that may arrise should a new school district be formed. The land is located approximately 6 blocks east of Middle Road on 5 1/2 Mile Road.
Here are details on the property:
Owner Data
Owners Name SCHOOL DIST 1 UNIFIED
Mail to Name SCHOOL DIST 1 UNIFIED
Mail to Address 1 UNIFIED
Mail to Address 2 SCHOOL DIST 1
Assessed Land Assessed Improv. Assessed Value Avg. Assmt Ratio
$0 $0 $0 1.0146
Est. Fair Mrkt. Value
$0.00
Parcel Id 104 042317082000
Physical Address *Exception* 5 1/2 MILE RD
Year 2006
Tax Year 1st Half 2nd Half Special Total Tax Lottery Credit Amt Paid Tax Balance
2006 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Recording Date Doc # Volume Page
09/24/1999 0 1541 366
Legal Description/Location of Property
5 1/2 MILE RD
17-04N-23E
PT SE1/4 COM CEN SEC E1232 S1320 W352 S660 W880 N1980 TO POB EXC N16 &W33 OF N387 EXC V1743P82 & V2471P086 ** TAX EXEMPT** PT TO 004042317654000 IN 95 FOR 96 ROLL **TOTAL ACRES** 29.30
** TOTAL ACRES 29.88 **
Caledonia to further examine secession
By Brent Killackey
Journal Times
5/3/2007
CALEDONIA - They're still thinking about secession in Caledonia.
On Tuesday night, the Village Board moved a step closer to authorizing a feasibility study of leaving the Racine Unified School District and forming a new district. It agreed to have the Community Development Authority work with the Wisconsin Taxpayers' Alliance to finalize a scope of services, which would specify what the village wants the Alliance to examine.
Depending on the study parameters, the cost would range between $15,000 to $50,000 - although a range of $15,000 to $30,000 seemed most likely, village officials said.
Any study is likely to take three to four months to complete, Village Administrator Tom Lebak said.
The Village Board would need to approve the scope of services brought forward by the Community Development Authority.
The meeting dates were not immediately set, although the Community Development Authority was expected to meet later this month.
The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance has studied other school district creations in Wisconsin, including situations involving the Shawano-Gresham, Middleton-Cross Plains and Monona Grove school districts.
"They've had the most recent experience in this to where they know what they're doing," said Trustee Kevin Wanggaard.
Additionally, as a nonprofit organization, the alliances charges for its time and expenses without trying to make a profit, he said.
The study will examine the benefits of forming a separate school district, Wanggaard said, adding that while everyone wants Unified to succeed, there are some questions that need to be answered.
"I think it's a positive step and it will answer questions, and, hopefully, Unified will work with us and not against us," Wanggaard said.
At Tuesday's meeting, the board received more than 100 additional signatures on a petition that has been circulating in support of a feasibility study, Wanggaard said. That brought the total to 479 signatures.
Seceding from Racine Unified was explored several years ago, but the idea was dropped after supporters found Caledonia's status as a town prevented progress on the matter. After Caledonia became a village on Oct. 25, 2005, the idea of forming a school district resurfaced.
A number of community leaders previously have acknowledged that Racine Unified's current performance on standardized tests and low graduation rates have hindered efforts to attract businesses and jobs.
Earlier this year, then-Village President Jonathan Delagrave and the Community Development Authority considered recommending the addition of an advisory referendum to the April 3 general election ballot. The discussion of conducting a feasibility study stems from those referendum discussions.
"The village completed an economic development plan last spring and one of the components that was in the plan was the issue of public schools," Delagrave said earlier this year. "It has been my idea for a long time to pursue the answer to the question on whether it makes sense for Caledonia to have an independent school district."
Delagrave did not seek re-election as village president. His successo, Ron Coutts, appointed Delagrave to the Community Development Authority.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2007/05/03/local/21991077.txt
Gap on schools widens
Idea for Caledonia study going to board
By DANI McCLAIN
dmcclain@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 21, 2007
Two camps of Caledonia residents - those looking to strengthen ties with the Racine Unified School District and those hoping to break away - moved a step closer to their goals last week.
On Wednesday, Caledonia's Community Development Authority confirmed that it will ask the full board to hire the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance to determine how much it would cost village taxpayers to create their own school district.
That same evening, village officials met with the Racine Unified School Board and discussed how the district can better address suburban residents' concerns about their children's education.
Ron Coutts, the newly elected Caledonia president and chair of the Community Development Authority, shuttled between both meetings. He said the upcoming two-year, $12.9 million referendum topped his list of concerns.
"You're asking for a lot of money. Why?" Coutts said, recalling his question to district officials.
He said his constituents want to know how Caledonia students' graduation rate compares with that of students districtwide.
Brian Dey, a School Board member and Caledonia resident, said that question goes to the heart of frustrations with Racine Unified. Dey said in his unsuccessful campaign for Village Board this year that he heard frequent complaints that the district spends too many resources addressing the needs of low-income students, students in special education and safety issues such as gang violence - problems Caledonia residents feel have little to do with them, he said.
"That is basically what I'm hearing: 'We live in a suburb, we should have to deal with the suburban problems,' " Dey said.
On March 21, representatives from the Madison-based Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance briefed Caledonia officials on the methodology and costs associated with conducting a secession feasibility study. On May 1, the Village Board will vote on whether it will hire the alliance to undertake the study.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=593953
Caledonia to consider study of village school district
By Paul Sloth
Journal Times
3/20/2007
CALEDONIA — Representatives from the Wisconsin Taxpayers’ Alliance will attend Wednesday’s Community Development Authority meeting in the Village of Caledonia to try to gauge just how serious officials there are about the potential to create an independent school district.
The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the East Side Community Center, 6156 Douglas Ave.
Todd Berry, president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers’ Alliance, said his organization has done similar studies for other school districts in the state and have become the de facto experts on the issue. In a way, creating a school district out of whole cloth, which is pretty much what Caledonia would be doing if it were to successful secede from the Racine Unified School District, is unfamiliar territory for most people.
Berry said state statutes are vague or silent on much of the details surrounding the issue and state finance and school law is quiet on this as well.
But it doesn’t stop communities from investigating the possibility.
“We have to ask the people involved, ‘What are your goals? What do you want to learn?’” Berry said. “The Racine/Caledonia study is very doable. It’s in some ways easier to do than in some districts that are rural and the pieces of geography you are going to create don’t even exist.”
The Taxpayers’ Alliance has done similar studies for the Monona Grove/Cottage Grove school districts, as well as the Shawano/Gresham school districts.
“Money matters, but we’ve found that nothing trumps family, neighborhood and community identity,” Berry said. “These things have a lot more to do with politics than just pure finances.”
No referendum planned this spring on Caledonia-Unified issue
By Brent Killackey
Journal Times
02/24/2007
CALEDONIA — Caledonia voters won’t face an advisory referendum this spring related to leaving the Racine Unified School District and forming their own school district.
The Community Development Authority this week instead unanimously recommended that the Village Board continue a dialogue with Racine Unified and authorize a study of the feasibility of forming a new school district, according to Village Administrator Thomas Lebak.
The proposed study would look at all the elements involved in creating a new school district — everything from cost and time frame to what it would look like and how it would operate. “All those things fall under the umbrella of feasibility,” Lebak said.
Some authority members wanted more information on the secession concept before bringing forward a referendum.
http://journaltimesonline.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=11084
Road to going solo long and difficult
Some in Caledonia consider splitting from Racine schools
By DANI McCLAIN dmcclain@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Feb. 21, 2007
Caledonia - Some village residents have made no secret of their desire to do what few municipalities have done anywhere in the state: leave a public school district and start their own. Advertisement Buy a link here"There's a lot of people that want out," Kevin Wanggaard of Caledonia's Village Board told the School Board's legislative committee and the school district superintendent earlier this month.
Fewer than 50% of the village's school-age children attend district schools, which serve the city of Racine, Caledonia and five other municipalities in eastern Racine County. Parents complain of unsafe classrooms, low test scores and too-frequent calls for additional funds through referendums.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=569069
For Caledonia to secede, it would need 8,258 signatures
By Brent Killackey
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2006/06/21/local/iq_4091784.txt
Is leaving Unified a good idea for Caledonia?
By Brent Killackey
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2006/06/17/local/iq_4088320.txt
Seceding from Unified?
By Brent Killackey
$375 million repair bill -- Consultant hired by Unified calls for massive restructuring for grades, facilities
By Brent Killackey
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2006/06/13/local/iq_4082463.txt