Text of Ladysmith-Hawkins School District Administrator Mario Friedel's presentation to the state School Boundary Appeals Board

As superintendent and elementary principal of the Ladysmith-Hawkins school district I would like to welcome the panel and congratulate Tony Evers on his election to State Superintendent. It is fitting that you are a part of this landmark decision which will set a precedent for other districts in the State.

This recent development of detachment in our District is NOT about education, it is about the closing of a school. In the present condition of our state’s economy, there are a number of districts who will need to consider closing schools. Still a number of communities may have already had their schools closed. Districts and communities all over the state will refer to the outcome of this case as a precedent when deciding the future of education in their districts.

HISTORY

Hawkins voluntarily joined with Ladysmith to form The Ladysmith-Hawkins School District in the late 1960’s

To this day the quality of education received in the Ladysmith-Hawkins School District has not been an issue.

Detachment has never been an issue during the past 40 years until recently.

On Feb. 27th 2006 the Ladysmith-Hawkins Board of Education voted to close Hawkins Elementary School due to declining enrollment projections and a total enrollment of 53 students. It was after this vote to close the school that some from the Hawkins Area, organized and petitioned for a large parcel detachment.

On July 31, 2007 a school board meeting regarding this large parcel detachment was held. The Ladysmith-Hawkins School Board denied the petition for detachment. At this board meeting none of the petitioners complained about the quality of education offered or quality of the teachers in the Ladysmith-Hawkins School District as reasons for detachment.

On November 6, 2007 a Referendum Election was held in the Ladysmith-Hawkins school district regarding detachment/attachment as directed by the Flambeau School District.

Results 1057 No … 587 Yes

A democratic election was held…education is a local issue, the local voters have spoken. By law there is no appeal process for a large territory detachment.

On January 22, 2009 the Ladysmith-Hawkins school district received five separate petitions for small parcel detachments equaling the same property as the large parcel detachment from 2007.

On February 23, 2009 the school board rejected 5 separate petitions for detachment. Although there is not an appeal process for a large territory detachment, there is an appeal process for a small parcel detachment. That is why we are here tonight. And because the total assessed valuation of the territories proposing to be detached are collectively more than 7% of the equalized value of the original school district…we have a seven-member School Boundary Appeal Panel hearing the case, instead of a 3 member Appeal Panel. In reality this is the same parcel of land that was voted on in the Nov. 6, 2007 referendum election. This large territory detachment issue is NOT about education it is about the reaction to the closing of a school.

117.15 (1)

This is not about transportation.

The earliest a Hawkins student gets on the bus is 6:55 AM. The earliest a Ladysmith student gets on the bus is 6:45 AM. The latest a Hawkins student gets home is 4:45 PM. The latest a Ladysmith student gets home is 4:40 PM.

Hawkins students have been transported by Krings Bussing Inc…. a family owned business, located in Hawkins, that has operated since 1946. You wouldn’t find anyone in Hawkins or Flambeau to complain about the safety, care, quality of the busses or service this company has provided over the years.

Because of where the Flambeau School is located in Rusk County, the maximum difference in the distance and time on a bus ride to Ladysmith is 6 miles or approximately 10 minutes.

In the past Hawkins students have always been transported by bus after athletic events. Since the enrollment declined we have eliminated the bus and now provide van transportation by volunteers who are employees of the district and live in Hawkins. This transportation is provided Monday thru Thursday after practices. Transportation is provided to all athletic events. District buses bring student participants back to their prospective schools and parents are responsible for picking their children up from there.

Bus that transports Hawkins students to and from swimming lessons daily for 3 weeks in the summer.

Why not just let the Flambeau bus come into the district to pick up the students who open enroll there? Sounds like a simple solution. How can you agree to transport one group of open enrolled students and not others. How can you discriminate against other neighboring districts that may want to make the same arrangement. Beaver Dam is experiencing the same bussing issue with Waupun. Because a family was 15 miles from the Waupun schools and only 5 miles to Beaver Dam, parents have exercised their right to open enroll their children to the Beaver Dam school district. They requested transportation. The Waupun school board president explained that “the minute we open the door to one bus coming in to pick up a family, we would have to allow it for others.”

117.15 (2)

This is not about education. Both Flambeau and Ladysmith-Hawkins School Districts offer a quality education. Some of the unique offerings and recognitions at the Elementary and Middle schools include: “New Wisconsin Promise School” for the past 5 consecutive years at LES and the past 4 years at LMS. Newly furnished science labs, an outdoor science classroom, piano and guitar lessons during the school day, Drama Club, Chess Club, School Newspaper (Sponge), Broadcast News (closed circuit TV) Accelerated Reading and Math and before and after school reading and math opportunities for remediation and acceleration and 4 H courses through the 21st century grant program. U.S. representative Dave Obey secured $856,000 in funding to be shared by 9 schools in the CESA 10 consortium to support continuation of these after school programs. The Ladysmith-Hawkins School District is one of these nine. Grant funded “free breakfast for all” students… every day. …at LES. Summer school program which offers a variety of course offerings, free breakfast, free lunch and free swimming lessons.

District-wide all schools have met AYP since its inception. PK-12 Spanish Program, 8 computer labs all with a minimum of 24 computers in each lab. Smart Boards for all core area teachers in LMS and for 2/3 of the teachers at LES.

At LHS we offer: AP Psychology, AP US History, AP World History, AP Calculus, AP Biology and AP Environmental Science all taught by staff members on site.

We have students taking college courses each semester on-line. On July 1st we will be partnering with WITC for Video Distance Learning.

The following courses have been articulated for college credit: Marketing, Computers, Small Business Accounting, Micro Computer Applications, Desktop Publishing, Welding Processes, Computer Assisted Design and Drafting, Automotive Mechanics.

The following courses have been transcripted for college credit: Anatomy and Physiology, Race and Ethnic Diversity Studies, Developmental Psychology, Sociology, AP Psychology, Financial Accounting, College Success Strategies and Medical Terminology.

We also offer complete technical diplomas while in high school through our Health Care Academy in the following fields: Certified Nursing Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician, Personal Care Worker and Dental Assistant. We have a complete state of the arts dental clinic on site, where our dental assistant students are taught by our Dental Hygienist and Adjunct Instructor from CVTC. In addition we serve Ladysmith-Hawkins students who are uninsured and/or with no dental insurance for preventative maintenance and referrals for additional treatment.

In the past two weeks we have had 66 music students compete in the Solo and Ensemble Music Festival at UW- Barron campus; 19 individuals received gold and 4 silver awards. We had 80 students competing in 5 ensembles, 4 receiving a 1* rating and 1 receiving a 1 rating. We have had 18 students compete in the state forensics competition 7 received gold, 10 silver and 1 bronze. We have had 15 students enter 2cars to compete in the high mileage vehicle competition at UW Stout where we took 1st and 2nd place. Our HOSA Group from the Health Care Academy (Health Occupations Students of America) which is a national health occupation student organization attended the State competition and after only our second year, sent 6 students to nationals.

$105,400 worth of scholarships were granted to the 2008 graduating seniors. Two Hawkins graduating students received over 10% of these awards. Hawkins students excel here as evidenced by the number of valedictorian, salutatorian and honor roll students over the years. They are involved in athletics and socially accepted by students as evidenced by the many prom and homecoming kings and queens and court members elected by the students.

117.15 (2m)

Will a detachment have an adverse effect on these curricular and extracurricular programs?

I agree with Flambeau’s philosophy of not putting a price tag on a student’s head. I also agree with the fact sheet sent to their district residents stating that “Flambeau is declining in enrollment. Over the past 5 years membership has dropped by 56 students. Less students bring less dollars into the District through state aid.” Or the superintendent’s comment from the Feb. 18, 2009 Detachment Hearing held in Flambeau stating: “If we do not have these students and we have to subtract $250,000 from our budgets, where would we be at now?” Would Flambeau be as eager to support this detachment, if it resulted in a financial loss to them?

We are in the same situation. Although our enrollment has seemed to stabilize over the last couple years, our county has a current 16.6% unemployment rate. The highest in the state. The future is uncertain. If a tax increase is imposed as a result of allowing this detachment to occur and there is a loss of students, it is logical to assume that our schools and their programs will be affected. Maybe not in the first year because this detachment would occur on July 1. That is in 2 months. So programs will be implemented as planned for the 2009-2010 school year. We currently have 39 students from the Hawkins area who are exercising their right to open enroll to Flambeau. We have 38 students from the Hawkins area who are exercising their right to attend school in Ladysmith, their resident district. A detachment will remove the financial burden from the parents of the 39 students who have chosen to open enroll and place the financial burden on the parents of the students who have not chosen to open enroll. After we experience the effect of this unemployment statistic, what a tax increase will have on the resident population and yes count the number of students lost due to detachment… we will need to consider reducing program offerings and staff for the 2010-2011 school year.

117.15 (3)

Testimony and written statements

Voters have spoken (exihbit E)

On November 6, 2007 a Referendum Election was held in the Ladysmith-Hawkins school district regarding detachment/ attachment as directed by the Flambeau School District.

Results 1057 No … 587 Yes ..….. In a democracy the results of a referendum should serve as testimony of the statement of the voters. There are no statutory grounds for overturning this vote.

117.15 (4)

If a detachment does occur, the division of assets and liabilities will have to be agreed upon by the two districts or in the courts. The Ladysmith taxpayers will continue to assume the entire debt and make payments on that debt until an agreement or court settlement is reached. Based on the proposal received by Flambeau regarding the division of assets and liabilities in the event of the passage of the referendum on Nov. 6, 2007 for the detachment known as the Hawkins area; the estimated amount due to Flambeau from Ladysmith would be $776,387…… Considering a proration of Ladysmith-Hawkins district debt based on equalized valuation of the Hawkins area property, (13.30% on October 2006,)…. Flambeau would owe Ladysmith $2,268,629. This is the general range, in which we would be negotiating after updating all data.

117.15 (5)

Ladysmith is non-contiguous with any of the 5 separate small parcels…..…. 3 of the 5 parcels; Georgetown, Kennan and the Village of Hawkins are not contiguous to the Flambeau District.

117.15 (6)

Socioeconomic levels and racial composition of either territory N/A

Although this is not a racially diverse area, The racial composition in the school district could change somewhat, and provide more exposure to cultural diversity as we have been approved by the Department of Homeland Security for the I 17 Visa Program. This allows us to issue VISAS to F1 students. Mark Florence a federal background investigator, who performs site visits for the Federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, gave us a recommendation as “a model school”, after analyzing our curriculum, educational opportunities and facilities. We plan on partnering with the Mount Senario Learning Center and are at the beginning stage of planning to bring foreign exchange students to LHS next school year.

Opportunities for at-risk students include: Implementation of the PASS curriculum for credit recovery and the GED Option 2 Program. Other AT RISK students are integrated into the regular classrooms.

117.15 (7)

The results of a referendum under section 117.10.

117.10 has nothing to do with large parcel detachments.

117.10 addresses the dissolution of a school district.

This district has never had a referendum under that section.

However, to this day we are upholding the August 9, 1967 unanimous decision of both the Hawkins and Ladysmith School Boards to attach or annex to Ladysmith. On September 11, 1967, according to DPI records, the Hawkins District dissolved and the new Ladysmith –Hawkins School District was created.

117.11 addresses the issue of large territory detachment/attachment.

On November 6, 2007 a Referendum Election was held in the Ladysmith-Hawkins School district regarding detachment/ attachment as directed by the Flambeau School District. Results 1057 No … 587… Yes

This hearing is not about the quality of education or transportation. It is about the closing of a school. I owned a home in Brandon for 7 years. To this day I have musician friends in Alto, Fairwater, Waupun and Randolph. Some of these communities recently have had their schools closed. I know the feeling of small town pride. When you lose your school you feel like you have lost the heart of your community….. Understandably , there are hard feelings and animosity concerning the closing of the Hawkins school. But if the state is to overturn a legal referendum and approve a detachment based on anger, it would provide motivation, set a precedent and put in place a reactionary tactic, for any outlying community in any district to employ, who has their school closed and then attempts to detach to a bordering district. …This detachment is not about education…. It is not about transportation…. It is about the closing of a school.