Jim Day
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QUESTION 2: Not every BOE decision is popular, even when it is the correct decision. What’s the most unpopular decision that you have faced and how did you handle it?
As a Board of Education member, there are many decisions that are you are required to make that are best for the district. In the 2018-2019 school year, the administration recommended some staff cuts due to financial limitations that budget year. The district had to downsize staff including some Directors, Teachers, and Maintenance employees.
School budgets are a challenging business model in which there is a tax levy cap at 2% on the property tax levy for school budget growth. The school district cannot exceed the 2% cap without approval of the voters in the form of a second question. Since 2011, Verona has seen a reduction in state aid that amounts to a loss of $6 million dollars and have seen a rise in healthcare cost. The Board and Administration do our best to balance needs of the district with the available funding.
I am happy to say that in the 2019-2020 school year we were able to build back in a majority of what was cut the previous year in the form of staff and programs. The Verona District is operated with a lean and responsible budget that has us as the lowest per pupil spending in our comparable school group. Our district has been recognized most recently for state and national academic ranking achievements, mental health and communication strategy awards. I look forward to working with the Board and School Administration to continue to be fiscally responsible for all the residents in Verona.
