Sam Russ, Superintendent of the Sparta Area School District, has been on a mission to explain the upcoming referendum. He has placed videos on the district's website that explain the process and invited anyone in the community to sit down and talk with him about the district's needs.
The school district just passed a referendum last year. Why does it need another?
The referendum that passed last year was a facility referendum. The school district will use the money on facility projects. This year's referendum is operational. State statutes prevent the school from taking funds from the facility referendum and using it elsewhere.
This operational referendum will help continue the school's co-curricular opportunities for students and retain high-quality staff.
For example, the archery program may have 28 students and one coach. Having 28 students with bows and arrows raises safety concerns that would require the school to hire a second coach. If the referendum doesn't pass, there may not be funding to hire a second coach. The school may need to limit the team to 10 students to meet safety standards.
Russ said, "We're a very comprehensive high school, both curricular and co-curricular-wise, and we want to be able to continue that and not limit the student experience." He adds, " Curriculars reinforce the reason why reading is important, writing is important, and math is important. So it really reinforces that on a daily basis because it's very clear the kids that are in co-curriculars really shine academically. Not all success is measured by a scoreboard."
One need only attend an event in the district and see the passion of its educators and students to recognize the good that extra-curricular programs like Show Choir and Robotics do for them. These experiences help some students come out of their shells and discover interests that can guide their career decisions.
Busing can also be affected, especially with rising fuel costs. The current budget will need to be adjusted to cover the added expense, and that will clearly take away from another area. If the referendum doesn't pass, the district will need to consider further changes. "We don't want to have kids walking 2 miles in the dark during a thunderstorm at 7 am or have one stop on Hwy 27 and Hwy 16 and tell parents they need to drop their kids off there," said Russ. "The district can't just stop busing students; this is a required service for our students."
The district will be making changes, whether or not the referendum passes. If there are staff losses due to attrition or retirement, the district will consider whether to replace the position. Due to declining enrollment, the district may need to make do with fewer teachers. The district will adjust the budget accordingly to stay within its financial constraints and make hard decisions based on the resources that it has.
Russ said, "We're a district of poverty. We're a district with high numbers of students with special needs, high numbers of students who don't speak English. All of those take resources that are required services that we don't get fully reimbursed for."
Taxes have increased; isn't the school district already getting enough?
The mill rate has been decreasing over the last few years. The Mill rate for the 2025 budget is $7.17; in 2015, it was $9.66. A mill rate of $7.17 means that for every $1000 of value your property has, you will pay $7.17 in taxes. It is lower, which suggests your taxes would be lower. However, home values have increased, which has also raised taxes. This tax increase does not mean the schools are receiving more; the State still bases the amount each district receives on factors like how many students it has, which has been declining in Sparta.
Sam Russ said, "It's not like we're getting additional funds above and beyond what the State allows us, and that's why a referendum is the only way to go above and beyond what the State gives us."
There are too many administrators, and they are making too much money.
The complexities of the modern school district and its students require more than what was needed over thirty years ago. Russ said, "Everybody went to school at some point, whether home school, public school, or private school, and this is one of the only professions that everyone has gone through. They understand one aspect of it."
There is a misunderstanding that schools can operate with very little administrative staff. Russ said, "We would like the community to understand that the Director of Business Services is essential.
The Director of Student Services, Instructional Services, and Superintendent, we're essential services just like the teachers are."
Students' needs are different today than they were years ago. There are mandated programs that require special training and staff. Students have behavior problems, learning disabilities, and social-emotional needs. This requires districts to have special staff who can help these students to self-regulate.
Russ said, "Our administrators work with our kids, work with our families to make sure that they get their needs met because suspending a kid or giving a kid a detention doesn't always fix the problem, so how do we continue to work with the families? How do we give them support? How do we connect them with the community support? Because we can't do it alone."
Final Words
Russ said, "We're looking to invest in our future. We're looking to continue to have the opportunities for kids, both in and out of the classroom. We're looking to continue to attract and retain high-quality staff and offer our staff, our kids, and our community the best public school possible. That's what we're looking for." He continues, "Strong communities equal strong schools. Strong schools equal strong communities. You put them together, you get a strong future."
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