It's school consolidation in a landslide for Weyerhaeuser, Chetek

Luke Klink

By almost a 6-to-1 margin in the Weyerhaeuser Area School District and more than a 2-to-1 margin in the Chetek School District, voters in a binding referendum, Tuesday, overwhelmingly authorized merging into a single school district.

Weyerhaeuser school residents voted 536-yes, 92-no.

Chetek school residents voted 863-yes, 341-no.

“It is pretty significant,” Chetek school administrator Al Brown said of the margin of difference and the large voter turnout in both communities.

“I am encouraged by the voter turnout and the public support that was voiced through the vote,” Brown said. “We will continue to work hard in educating and making the Weyerhaeuser and Chetek schools an outstanding education opportunity for our kids.”

The decision means the two school districts officially become one system as of July 1, 2010. Students will begin attending a consolidated school district next fall.

Six transition committees will now work on the process of combining the schools, according to Brown. Those committees will focus on the areas of finance, facilities, curriculum and staff, transportation, miscellaneous issues and transition.

The transition committee will schedule special events like open houses to inform the public, Brown said. He added the miscellaneous committee will focus on matters like school logo, mascot and colors.

Brown said the goal now is “to preserve the legacy of both school districts” throughout the process. He acknowledged the hard work of everyone involved.

“It is a credit to them and we appreciate their efforts,” Brown said.

The vote had to pass in both school districts to succeed. It did.

Both school boards voted to proceed with consolidation without a referendum, but residents successfully petitioned for the binding vote.

Backers of consolidation have touted $11 million in state incentive aid that will be available over five years to fund operations of a consolidated school district. They say the additional money — albeit short-lived — will help support more diverse educational programming than either school district could provide separately.

Opponents of consolidation have complained at public meetings about long bus rides and long travel distances from the Weyerhaeuser area to Chetek. They also have questioned why consolidation was not pursued with other neighboring school districts like Cameron and Bruce. They are also worried about projected debt for a consolidated district after incentive aid runs out after year five.

The Weyerhaeuser Area School Board conducted two consolidation studies —one involving Chetek and another involving Ladysmith and Bruce. When the latter study met resistance, Weyerhaeuser schools ramped up talks with Chetek.

Weyerhaeuser school officials, who also held similar discussions with Cameron and Birchwood schools, were under pressure to consolidate or dissolve due to large decreases in enrollment and state aid combined with increasing property values leading to more pressure placed on local property taxes.

Weyerhaeuser schools now receive about $600,000 less in state aid than seven years ago due to a combination of low enrollment numbers and increasing property values. A state school funding formula penalizes school districts with high property values by reducing their state aid, forcing local school boards to seek more taxes from property owners.

Earlier this year, the Weyerhaeuser Area School Board issued a combined statement stating consolidation is the “one choice that makes good sound educational and financial sense to the Weyerhaeuser District.” School board president Ken Czekalski said at a recent meeting there is no other option.



Here is how the communities voted:



Weyerhaeuser Area School District (YES-NO)

Village of Weyerhaeuser (93-17)

Town of Big Bend (141-6)

Town of Stubbs (76-24)

Town of Rusk w/Sumner (102-9)

Town of Strickland (114-26)

Town of Wilkinson (10-10)





Chetek School District (YES-NO)

City of Chetek (280-113)

Town of Sioux Creek (71-29)

Town of Chetek (266-66)

Town of Dover (46-29)

Town of Prairie Lake (98-57)

Town of Sand Creek w/Auburn (62-24)

Town of Rusk w/Sampson (40-23)