Administrative Report

Pursuant to Wisconsin State Statute 117.15, when considering the creation of a new school district, school boards must consider seven factors as they related to the educational welfare of all of the children residing in the affected school districts. This Administrative Report identifies each of the factors to be considered and provides a summary of the information which has been presented to the Unified School District of Antigo School Board to this point. In reviewing this report School Board Members should consider the impact each will have or will potentially have on the educational welfare of the children residing in the affected districts.

Factors for consideration pursuant to ss. 117.15:

1. The geographical and topographical characteristics of the affected school districts, including the estimated travel time to and from school for pupils in the school districts.

• The attendance boundaries for the proposed Mattoon District consist of the area within the Unified School District of Antigo which is South of Highway 47 and Pond Road and East of Highway 45. This area is approximately 55 square miles. (see attached map).
• The projected enrollment within the boundaries of the proposed Mattoon District is approximately 228 students, which would place them in the bottom decile of districts in the state of Wisconsin.
• Not all students in the proposed Mattoon District have historically attended Mattoon Elementary School. Students living between Highway 47 and County Rd D have historically attended Crestwood Elementary or Pleasant View Elementary.  The petitioners have indicated that a reduction in the geographic area of the map agreed upon by the parties would make the Mattoon District unviable.
• The travel time for students living within the New Unified School District of Antigo will not be significantly impacted.
• The travel time for 7th -12th grade students in the proposed Mattoon District will not be significantly impacted during year one of the split. After that, the Mattoon District would be required to contract for the education of 7th – 12th grade students and there is no information, contracts or data available to indicate how travel times will be impacted in subsequent years.
• Travel times for K-6 students living in the proposed Mattoon District will vary based on address. Those living near or within the Village of Mattoon will be able to walk to school or have shorter bus rides, while those leaving near the northern boundary will likely have longer rides. The petitioners have indicated that they believe average bus rides for K-6 students within the proposed new district will be between 30-55 minutes; however, no information from an outside bus company has been provided to confirm this assertion.

2. The educational needs of all of the children residing in the affected school districts, the educational programs currently offered by each affected school district and the ability and commitment of each school district to meet those needs an continue to offer those educational programs.

• Petitioners have expressed a strong commitment to provide at least the equivalent educational programs as previously offered at the Mattoon Elementary School.
• The petitioners have suggested they will employ research based instructional practices such as personalized learning, project based learning, and interdisciplinary instruction. The petitioners have also indicated that, when possible, they may consider implementing split-grade classrooms.
• The petitioners have not provided a plan or curriculum outlining how they plan to implement the identified instructional strategies and programs.
• The proposed Mattoon District would be required to enter into a whole-grade sharing agreement with another district in order to provide educational services to students in grades 7-12.
• Whole-grade sharing has never been utilized in Wisconsin.
• If a whole-grade sharing agreement cannot be reached between the proposed Mattoon District and the Unified School District of Antigo, the financial impact to Antigo will be significant and would likely result in the reduction of course offerings and programs offered at the USDA Middle School and High School levels.
• If the proposed Mattoon District were to fail at any point within the next ten years, there is uncertainty as to where the students residing in that district would be educated.
• The petitioners have indicated the proposed Mattoon District desires to contract with CESA or another school district in order to provide services to Special Education students, but have not provided a plan or estimated cost for doing so. Approximately 20-21% of the proposed Mattoon District’s projected enrollment currently receives special education services and the cost to deliver services will be significant. There is no guarantee that those students would be educated by the USDA.
• The petitioners have not provided a plan for how they will meet the administrative needs of the proposed Mattoon District. These costs are higher in smaller districts according to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance. “The cost category where small districts departed most from state averages was administration: $1599 per pupil vs. an average of $900 per pupil, a difference of 77.7%.” – Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance “Estimated Fiscal Impacts of a Mattoon Detachment”
• Teacher recruitment and retention will be a concern for the proposed Mattoon District as smaller districts have difficulty paying competitive salaries. According to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, small districts pay an average of $44,545 compared to an average of $53,922 throughout the state. – Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance “Estimated Fiscal Impacts of a Mattoon Detachment”
• The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance notes that while small districts pay more for instruction they also typically have smaller teacher/pupil ratios. – Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance “Estimated Fiscal Impacts of a Mattoon Detachment”
• The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance estimates that the proposed Mattoon District will have a per pupil revenue of between $11,500 and $11,900; similar size K-12 districts on average spend $14,811 per student. The average K-8 district spends $13,559 per student. – Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance “Estimated Fiscal Impacts of a Mattoon Detachment”, “School Facts 16”
• The Petitioners have not presented a detailed operational budget indicating how funds will be expended to meet the educational needs of students of the proposed Mattoon District.

2m. If territory is proposed to be detached from one school district and attached to an adjoining school district or proposed to be included in a new school district under s. 117.105, whether the proposed detachment will have any adverse effect on the program currently offered by the school district from which the territory is proposed to be detached, including both curricular and extracurricular aspects of that program.

• If a whole-grade sharing agreement cannot be reached between the proposed Mattoon District and the Unified School District of Antigo, the financial impact to Antigo will be significant and would likely result in the reduction of the curricular and co-curricular programs the Unified School District of Antigo is able to provide.

3. The testimony of and written statements filed by the residents of the affected school districts.

• On September 13th, 2016, a Public Hearing was held to receive testimony specific to the setting of boundaries and the apportionment of assets and liabilities between the proposed Matoon district and the Unified School District of Antigo pursuant to Wis. Stat. Sec. 117.105(1m)(a). 11 individuals spoke in favor of the petitioners requested boundaries and allocation of assets and liabilities . Three individuals spoke in opposition to the petitioners’ requested boundaries and allocation of assets and liabilities.
• On October 11th, 2016, a Special Meeting of the Unified School District of Antigo Board of Education was held pursuant to Wis. Stat. Sec. 117.105(1m)(b) to adopt a resolution agreeing on the precise boundaries of the proposed Mattoon District and the apportionment of assets and liabilities between the affected school districts. During the public comment period one individual spoke in favor of the petitioners’ requested boundaries and allocation of assets and liabilities. During the public comment period two individuals spoke in opposition to the petitioners’ requested boundaries and allocation of assets and liabilities.
• On January 3rd, 2016, a Special Meeting of the Unified School District of Antigo Board of Education was held pursuant to Wis. Stat. Sec. 117.15 to receive information to consider relevant to the factors required to be evaluated by the School Board. During the public comment period six individuals provided testimony in favor of the creation of the proposed new school district. {W1497422.DOCX/2} During the public comment period three individuals provided testimony in opposition to the creation of the proposed new school district.
• The Unified School District of Antigo School Board has received written testimony, via mail or electronic mail, from 16 individuals or couples in opposition to the creation of the proposed Mattoon District.
• The Unified School District of Antigo School Board has received written testimony, via mail or electronic mail, from one individual or couple in favor of the creation of the proposed Mattoon District
• The Unified School District of Antigo has been presented with a petition containing signatures of individuals residing within the Unified School District of Antigo who are opposed to the creation of the proposed new school district.

4. The estimated fiscal effect of the proposed reorganization on the affected school districts, including the effect of the apportionment of assets and liabilities.

• “Antigo’s (Unified School District of Antigo) revenues would be negatively affected because it would have fewer students: Total revenues are directly related to student numbers. However, that loss would be lessened by an increased per student revenue limit and three years of additional aid outside of the limits, both provided for in state law.” – Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance “Estimated Fiscal Impacts of a Mattoon Detachment”
• If the new district is created, Antigo will have some financial risk. Negotiating an equitable whole-grade sharing agreement will be paramount. “Antigo would be required to educate Mattoon’s seventh through 12th grade students until Mattoon could educate them itself or via a whole grade sharing agreement with another district. If Antigo were part of such an agreement, it could receive more than $1 million annually to offset revenue losses, leaving the new Antigo district with revenues similar to the current district.” – Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance “Estimated Fiscal Impacts of a Mattoon Detachment”
• “Antigo would owe Mattoon an estimated $2.87 million from the division of assets and liabilities. The payment would have one of two impacts. First, if Antigo uses current cash balances to make the payment, its fund balance would be reduced, increasing its financial vulnerability. Alternatively, if it borrowed to finance the payment, it would have an additional annual cost until the borrowing is repaid.” – Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance “Estimated Fiscal Impacts of a Mattoon Detachment”
• “The district split could impact the taxpayers adversely. If the new Antigo district levied to the maximum allowed by state law, local property taxes would rise modestly due to the increased revenue limit. If it borrowed to finance its asset/liability obligation to Mattoon, the property tax increase would be greater.” – Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance “Estimated Fiscal Impacts of a Mattoon Detachment”
• “Mattoon’s fiscal situation is much more uncertain. The district would have ongoing revenues of about $11,500-$11,900 per student. It could generate more on a temporary basis via a revenue limit carryover.” – Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance “Estimated Fiscal Impacts of a Mattoon Detachment”
• “On average, districts with similar enrollment spend more than $14,000 per student. For Mattoon, the primary question is: Will it be able to educate its students relying only on expected revenues? Or will it have to tax its citizens more, or find additional revenues, to support the district along the lines of like districts?” – Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance “Estimated Fiscal Impacts of a Mattoon Detachment”

5. Whether the proposed reorganization will make any part of a school district’s territory noncontiguous.

• The proposed reorganization will not make any part of a school district’s territory noncontiguous

6. The socioeconomic level and racial composition of the pupils who reside or will reside in territory proposed to be detached from one school district and attached to an adjoining school district, in territory proposed to be included in a new school district under s. 117.105 or in school districts proposed to be consolidated or in a school district proposed to be dissolved; the proportion of the pupils who reside in such territory who are children at risk, as defined under s. 118.153 (1) (a); and the effect that the pupils described in this paragraph will have on the present and future socioeconomic level and racial composition of the affected school districts and on the proportion of the affected school districts’ enrollments that will be children at risk.

• The creation of the proposed new Mattoon district will not impact the proportion of socioeconomic level, racial composition or of students at risk residing in the affected districts.
• The petitioners’ presentation to the board on January 3rd stated, “The socioeconomic level and racial composition of the USDA will be relatively unchanged along with the enrollment of children who are at risk. “ –“Mattoon Petition Presentation”, January 3, 2017 7. The results of any referendum held under s. 117.10.
• There has not been any referendum held under s. 117.10

Other Factor(s)

• As this situation is unprecedented, there is uncertainty in how the Department of Public Instruction will treat the proposed Mattoon District in terms of desired model of consolidated districts. Additionally, there is uncertainty regarding how DPI will handle extensions should the proposed Mattoon District be unable to enter into a whole-grade sharing agreement for grades 7-12 or in the case that the proposed Mattoon District is unable to continue operating and must be dissolved.