2022 Primary Election
Please direct inquiries to:
Communications Department at communications@spartan.org or 608-366-3400
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 5, 2022
Unofficial Board of Education Election and Operating Referendum Results
Below are the unofficial results of the Sparta Area School District Board of Education Election:
*John Hendricks: 2,134
*Anthony Scholze: 2,113
Todd Wells: 1,893
Pat McKenna: 1,798
Amy Lopez: 1,776
Marla Leverich: 1,601
Jason Perry: 1,541
Tanya Morene: 1,537
Below are the unofficial results of the Sparta Area School District Operating Referendum:
Yes: 1,897
No: 1,936
The official Canvass of the Election Returns will be held on Monday, April 11, 2022, at 9 am at 900 East Montgomery Street, Sparta, WI in the conference room.
* Denotes Incumbent
*Top two vote getters earn a three-year term. Next two earn a one year term.
Please direct inquiries to:
Communications Department at communications@spartan.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 15, 2022
Sparta Area School District Issues Statement
Below are the unofficial results for the Sparta Area School District Primary Election.
Amy Lopez: 1,004
Pat McKenna: 986
Edward Lukasek: 721
Tanya Morene: 882
Anthony Scholze: 1,201
Todd Wells: 818
Marla Leverich: 943
John Hendricks: 1,270
Jason Perry: 935
The official Canvass of the Election Returns will be held on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 9 am at 900 East Montgomery Street, Sparta, WI in the conference room.
About the Sparta Area School District
The Sparta Area School District educates all students, academically, emotionally, and socially to inspire curiosity and resilience. To learn more, visit www.spartan.org or call us at (608) 366-3400.
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Please be notified that it will be necessary to conduct a Spring Election for the Sparta Area School District Board of Education on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. According to law, this election is to be conducted as are all other municipal elections.
1. Anthony Scholze
2. Marla Leverich
3. John Hendricks
4. Tanya Morene
5. Amy Lopez
6. Todd S. Wells
7. Pat McKenna
8. Jason Perry
FACSIMILE BALLOT NOTICE
NOTICE OF SPRING ELECTION OF
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS
SPARTA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
APRIL 5, 2022
OFFICE OF THE SPARTA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT CLERK
TO THE ELECTORS OF THE
SPARTA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Notice is hereby given to the electors of the Sparta Area School District, of the nonpartisan Spring Election of school board members to be held in the various wards and municipalities in Monroe County on Tuesday, the 5th day of April, 2022. The names of the candidates for school board whose nominations have been certified or filed in this office are as follows:
(Vote for not more than four)
1. Anthony Scholze
2. Marla Leverich
3. John Hendricks
4. Tanya L. Morene
5. Amy Lopez
6. Todd S. Wells
7. Pat McKenna
8. Jason Perry
Electors will vote in their regular polling places. Polls will be open at 7:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM.
(Signed)
Heidi Prestwood
2022 Spring Referendum
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Shall the Sparta Area School District, Monroe and Jackson Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $2,100,000 per year beginning with the 2022-2023 school year and ending with the 2023-2024 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of funding staffing, technology and maintenance of district facilities?
The Sparta Area School District’s projected budget shortfall can be attributed to:
- A DECREASE IN REVENUE is due to the K-12 funding freeze in the state’s current biennial budget. This funding freeze has restricted the District’s revenue potential through state General Aid and the local tax levy for the next two years.
- AN INCREASE IN EXPENSES is due to cost of living and inflation driving up our CURRENT costs to operate.
- 65% of our operational costs are for employee salaries and benefits
- THEREFORE, we are anticipating a $2,800,000 budget shortfall to MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT OPERATIONS
The projected budget shortfall to MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT OPERATIONS can be addressed by:
- Reducing our current operations to DECREASE expenses
- Obtaining an operating referendum to INCREASE revenue
- A combination of both
We have opted to address our projected budget shortfall with a hybrid approach consisting of the following strategies:
- We can DECREASE expenses by $700,000 without having a major impact on our current operations
- We will seek an operating referendum for the remaining $2,100,000 shortfall so that we can MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT OPERATIONS
The impact of an Operating Referendum to taxpayers is communicated through the Mill Rate.
- The SASD mill rate is currently $8.29 per $1,000 of equalized property value
- $8.29 is a decrease of $0.57 from the previous year
- $8.29 is the lowest mill rate in the past 5 years
- School Districts can manage their mill rate by using the following strategies:
- Operating Referendum to exceed the General (Operating) Levy
- Pay down debt ahead of schedule
- Provide additional community-wide programming and services
- It is advantageous for SASD to actively manage our mill rate because we are a highly aided district
- We receive approximately $0.70 in state aid for every dollar we spend
- For any additional funds levied (i.e. to pay down debt) we receive 70% of our expenditures in state aid the following year
- The additional state aid allows us to maintain our mill rate in future years
Under the proposed Operating Referendum, SASD will be able to maintain the current mill rate of $8.29 for both of the next two years. This can be accomplished by shifting the additional levy that we have been using to pay down our debt to instead use those funds to support the General (Operating) Budget. All scheduled debt payments will continue to be made. THERE WILL BE NO NEW TAX IMPACT, THE MILL RATE WILL REMAIN THE SAME AT $8.29.
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- The $2.1 million will be used to MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT OPERATIONS. It will be used to offset a projected budget shortfall rather than for providing new or additional services. Specifically, it will be used to continue funding:
- Staffing
- Technology
- Maintenance of District Facilities
The District has a Trust Fund (Fund 46) that was established to pay for future capital improvements. Per DPI, once money is deposited into this Trust Fund, it cannot be used for any other purposes, including to support general operations.
The District has accumulated nearly $3,500,000 in this Trust Fund over the past 6 years, with the largest contributions being from the sale of two district properties. This Trust Fund is being used to pay for the Memorial Field project.
The Memorial Field project will have NO impact on the general operating budget or on the tax levy and mill rate.
We are not anticipating any change to our Mill Rate of $8.29 over the next two years, regardless of the outcome of the Operating Referendum. This is because the additional levy will continue to be used to pay down debt.
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Individual taxpayer's school portion of their property tax will vary from the Board of Education certified levy due to several reasons.
School districts certify their levy based on equalized value as assessment ratios differ by municipality (SASD serves 14 different municipalities). The school levy credit, first dollar credit, and lottery credit, which are applied to the school district levy, are distributed to municipalities after the school district certifies its levy.
Community Information Sessions will be held on:
March 31, 2022 Herrman Elementary LMC from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Contact the Communications Department for additional questions at : communications@spartan.org