River Falls Superintendent Jamie Benson presented the need-to-know information ahead of the Feb. 10 referendum vote at the Jan. 9 River Falls City Council meeting.

Benson cited the current school funding system as the reason the school is facing the referendum vote.

“The cause of why we’re at this crossroads and needing to ask the community for a referendum has really everything to do with the state funding formula for school districts,” Benson said.

Benson said 80% of districts in Wisconsin have had to look for “operational support” within their communities due to the system established in 1993. The structure mentioned by Benson grants Wisconsin school districts funding based on spending from the time the system was put into place.

“We receive $11,000 on a revenue limit per pupil, our neighbors to the north get $12,348 per pupil, Madison gets $14,000,” Benson said. “If we got $12,348 I wouldn’t be before you here today, because the difference in the funding that we would receiving when you multiply 3,400 kids times the amount that Hudson receives, we’d have another four million dollars, and you’d be on with the rest of your agenda and not allowing me time to tell this story here tonight.”

Benson dove into each of the referendum questions for the voters on Feb. 20. The first is the operational question, which Benson mentioned involves the day-to-day expenses to keep the school running.

The district’s projected deficits are $1 million for 2024-25, $2 million for 2025-26 and $3 million in 2026-27, and the operational question is meant to address that. Benson went on to explain the tax impact covering the deficits would have:

• 2024-25 - $1 million: $5 per $100,000 of assessed property value
• 2025-26 - $2 million: $11 per $100,000 of assessed property value
• 2026-27 - $3 million: $19 per $100,000 of assessed property value
• 2027 and beyond - $3 million recurring: continues to be locked in at $19 per $100,000 of assessed property value, with no further increases

The bond question involves $28 million that includes $20 million for security/building systems/grounds. Benson compared the category for the $20 to repairs one would have to make on their home such as a furnace replacement or rooftop repair.

With some of the district’s buildings being 50 years old, Benson said the repairs are needed, and the current funding from the state does not take that into account.

“When we replace our furnaces, it’s called a boiler, and it costs us $600,000, or a rooftop unit that costs us $100,000 and we need six or eight of those kind of rooftop units on one building,” Benson said.

Another $4 million of the $28 million is dedicated to constructing a new bus garage. The current bus garage was built in 1966, and Benson said it would be converted into a storage space.

The final $4 million is dedicated to a multi-purpose indoor athletic facility which would be an addition to the high school.

“Advantages to our phy-ed classes during the regular school day, advantages for community and youth,” Benson said. “Not only in their ability to use the new space, but in some cases it would free up other existing gym space throughout the district that would allow some of our youth and community activities to have more flexibility with their time.

Another potential benefit mentioned by Benson is wrestling practice moving from the middle school basement to the high school.

The tax impact for the $28 million bond question would be $58.50 annually per $100,000 in property value.

“We’re doing some good things at the school district, and frankly, it’s what we want to preserve through this ask on Feb. 20,” Benson said. “Change happens at the speed of trust.”

Other business

• Approved a resolution opposing Senate Bill 691 (SB691), which allows towns that meet the criteria to label themselves as “urban towns.” According to city documents, an urban town “is not subject to extraterritorial zoning or extraterritorial plat approval by a neighboring city or village.”

“SB691 seems undemocratic, eliminating annexation by referendum and undermining the elected voice of City Councils. It also compels City owners of water and sewer systems to serve Town areas excluded from extraterritorial planning,” city documents state.

• Approved a resolution accepting public improvements for Thompson Storage watermain extension. The council approved a developer’s agreement to extend the watermain in 2023, and the resolution was the official acceptance of ownership of the “public infrastructure.” The watermain was extended to Old Chapman Drive from the existing watermain located on Chapman Drive.

The mayor made the following appointments:

• Appointment of Casie Radford to fill a Historic Preservation Commission vacancy through December 2026
• Reappointment of Pam Friede to Historic Preservation Commission through January 2027
• Reappointment of Heidi Hanson to Bid Board through December 2026
• Reappointment of Kerri Olson to Bid Board through December 2026