Cuba City board outlines more than $1 million in potential cuts after referendum loss; parents and staff urge alternatives

The Cuba City School District presented a plan of 16 potential budget reductions that together would save just over $1 million after voters rejected a recent referendum, district staff told the board.

The district’s budget presenter said the 2023–24 fiscal year is about 75% complete and that Fund 10 spending is approximately 53% to date. Because the referendum failed, the presenter said the district cannot sustain using between $450,000 and $500,000 of fund balance next year and must identify cuts. "These cuts will unavoidably impact both students and staff," the presenter said, outlining two groups of recommendations: non‑personnel reductions estimated at roughly $630,000 and six personnel changes that together could save about $420,000.

The non‑personnel items include suspending tuition reimbursement for staff college credits, lowering cash‑out limits on insurance, technology and curriculum supply reductions, and vendor/service reductions. Personnel proposals presented to the board included custodial consolidation (reducing custodial FTE from 4.5 to 3.5), eliminating an elementary math interventionist, consolidating fourth‑grade classroom staffing, eliminating a middle/high school at‑risk coordinator and reducing administrative assistant FTEs. The presenter estimated that personnel reductions could affect roughly 70 students who currently receive district educational services.

Board members asked about alternatives such as sharing positions with neighboring districts, the timing of any reductions and whether a short‑term use of fund balance could bridge to another referendum. The presenter said the board plans to finalize a community survey quickly so the district can gather targeted public feedback on which combinations of services and positions residents would support restoring in a future referendum; a finance committee is scheduled to review the survey before full‑board consideration.

The proposed cuts drew extensive public comment. Fourth‑grade teachers Jen Hes and Christina Brewer proposed a co‑teaching arrangement to reduce three positions to two (one 1.5 FTE general‑education teacher plus a half‑time special‑education role) while preserving student supports. "We would like to address the consolidation of fourth grade due to class size," Hes said.

Carly Red, representing the intervention team, warned that not filling a math interventionist would reduce services for roughly 120 K–5 students by about one‑third and "would be detrimental" to student growth. Melissa Gil, a high‑school special‑education teacher, told the board that cutting CTE programs would disproportionately harm students with IEPs and diminish post‑graduation outcomes that the district measures.

Other speakers — parents, administrative assistants, music‑department staff and students — described the practical consequences of cuts on daily operations, student supervision and enrichment programs. Sarah Williams, identified as the district’s at‑risk coordinator whose position is under consideration, urged the board to "make decisions based on what’s best for kids."

The board approved a $10,000 contract with School Perceptions to conduct the community survey and said it will review survey design and timeline in coming weeks. The district’s timeline discussed in open session aims to finalize referendum language by late August should the board choose to place a question before voters.

Next steps: the board will review the survey at the finance‑committee level, continue deliberations about specific cuts in public and closed sessions, and consider formal budget resolutions at the April 24 meeting required by state timelines.