By Eileen Persike, Editor

The Rhinelander Board of Education voted Monday night to ask district voters to approve a three-year, $5 million non-recurring referendum which will appear on the February 16, 2016 ballot.

The $5 million over three years will not cover the total shortfall that the district will see, but the remainder will be drawn from the Fund Balance account. The district was able to accrue savings that built up the Fund Balance from the recommended $12 million to $14.5 million.

The district is in the last year of a three-year $4 million non-recurring referendum to exceed the levy for operational purposes. Superintendent Kelli Jacobi told the board she will continue to fight for changes in the school funding formula to make it more equitable statewide.

District administrators will begin creating schedules for informational presentations throughout the community.  Last week Jacobi presented the board with a list of more than $7 million in cuts that would need to be made if a referendum was not approved.

“We are not recommending these cuts; they are all bad options,” Jacobi said at the Oct. 19 meeting. “They are all bad for our students.”

Read the October 25 Star Journal for more information on the referendum and October 19 school board meeting.