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WOLF RIVER WEDNESDAY SHAWANO LEADER WWW.NEWMEDIA-WI.COM Wednesday, October 30, 2019 Volume 138, Issue 148 $1 School board passes budget; tax rate cut Shawano School District taxpayers will see an 11-cent cut in their tax rate with the approved 2019-20 budget. PAGE 2 Menominee Tribe gets grant to grow local food Historical farming practices will get new light with $1 million over 5 years. PAGE 18 Gresham claims regional title Saturday night Big leads carried the girls volleyball team in a Division 4 sweep over Bowler. PAGE 24 FRESH FACE Chris Marcks, dressed as Neytiri from the movie, “Avatar,” applies clown makeup to Kaylee Cousert, age 3. Marcks was offering face painting at the Denmark State Bank grand opening celebration on Saturday. Face painting will be one of the activities at the annual Halloween party today from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 124 E. Center St., Shawano. DETAILS IN CALENDAR, PAGE 10. CAROL RYCZEK | NEW MEDIA Please see our survey ad on Page 23. +,%-"#./%0(($,1&0),!"#$%&'(#)* PAGE 2t/&8.&%*"twww.newmedia-wi.comtWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019 SHAWANO LEADER (USPS 492-120) Published Wednesdays and Saturdays by NEW Media Inc $30M budget passed by d/b/a The Shawano Leader Periodicals postage paid at Shawano, Wisconsin 54166 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Shawano Shawano School Board Leader, 1464 E. Green Bay St., Shawano WI 54166 Office Higher property values allow for early debt repayment 1464 E. Green Bay St., Shawano, WI 54166 By LEE PULASKI erty values and a state budget that Sacred Heart Catholic School, St. Telephone $JUZ&EJUPS provided more funding to schools. James Lutheran School and Wolf 715-526-2121 She said there’s a possibility to do River Lutheran High School. The FAX: 715-524-3941 SHAWANO — With little com- something similar in 2021 if prop- remainder is going toward private mentary, the Shawano School Board erty values continue to rise, which schools outside the district that Publisher approved a budget just under $30 would really help when the bonds are educating students living in the Greg Mellis [email protected] million Monday for the 2019-20 are eligible for refnancing in 2023 Shawano area. school year. (Hillcrest and Olga Brener) and “When I pressed DPI (Depart- Editor-In-Chief Taxpayers can expect to see a 2024 (SCMS). ment of Public Instruction), they Carol Ryczek [email protected] slight drop in their district prop- The 2019 third Friday count in didn’t give it. They don’t have to City Editor erty taxes as the budget includes an September, the ofcial number the give it,” Fischer said. “They just tell Lee Pulaski [email protected] 11-cent cut in the tax rate to $9.58, Wisconsin Department of Public us to tax it and levy it on everyone. Sports Editor which means someone with prop- Instruction uses to determine how It’s really frustrating.” much aid it furnishes to schools, Of the $6.43 in the tax rate that Morgan Rode [email protected] erty worth $100,000 would pay $958 in school district taxes. showed a 51-student decline, more goes toward school operations, Obituaries The tax rate could have been as than double the number Fischer had vouchers account for 62 cents of [email protected] low as $8.88, due to a much higher estimated when she presented the that, almost 10 percent, according Classifieds/legal notices bump in the property valuations budget in community meetings and to Fischer. [email protected] — 5 percent instead of 2 percent the annual meeting in September. Fischer noted that the district is Retail advertising — but the board voted to pay of That brings the ofcial enrollment also getting a one-time payment of of the district to 2,279. $326,000 due to the city of Shawano [email protected] $1 million more of its debt early, specifcally the debt incurred when Fischer said the latest decline closing two Tax Increment Finance [email protected] the district built Hillcrest Primary shows the district’s three-year roll- districts. The money is going into Calendar items (free) School and renovated Olga Brener ing average, which the state uses one of the district’s accounts that [email protected] Intermediate School. According to to determine how much equaliza- handles capital improvement proj- Subscriptions business manager Louise Fischer, tion aid districts get, will be 40 ects, which brings the total in the Subscription, delivery or payment question? doing this will help to keep the tax students less when it comes time fund to almost $1 million. for next year’s budget. She said The district is also getting Call 715-526-2121 rate steady and allow the debt to be completely paid of one year that this year’s equalization aid for $131,000 more from the open enroll- 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday earlier. Shawano was up $359,000 to about ment program, where families are [email protected] There is currently about $21.9 $15.3 million compared with what allowed to enroll their children in million in debt for the district, in- the district received in the 2018-19 schools not in the district they live RATES cluding the renovations at Shawano school year. in. Fischer said the district is ex- Print Community Middle School, which If the school district moves for- pecting to get $362,000 because of ofcials expect will be paid of by ward with a proposed referendum the number of students coming into Print single issue: $1 Wednesdays, $2 Saturdays 2031. Getting ahead on the debt for a new recreation center in April Shawano School District exceed- Prepaid nonrefundable 12 months: would allow the district to pay of 2020, and voters approve it, that ing the number leaving for other $119 Carrier; $127 Motor; $151 Mail - WI its existing debt by 2030. increase on the tax rate would take schools. $164 Mail - outside WI “The purpose of this is to pay place in 2021. While the funding is welcome, www.newmedia-wi.com of our debt sooner, save money Fischer reported the district it’s not always reliable, according 1-day. $0.99 on loan interest costs, and also will be paying more money toward to Fischer. our money would be invested in private school vouchers in the area “I’m concerned about the up and 3-mo (90-day introductory offer) $12 the meantime, so we’d be making than she originally presented. She down of open enrollment,” Fischer Month-to-month $10 money of of it,” Fischer said, not- said the district would be paying said. “There’s no way to really Prepaid 12 month, nonrefundable, $99 ing that some research into current $876,000 toward the vouchers, not predict it. This is a fgure that really Print plus online nonrefundable package interest rates show the district $728,000 like she had presented helps our budget because we have $137 Carrier; $145 Motor; $173 Mail - WI; could save anywhere from $50,000 in September because one of the a net and not an expense, but it schools is ofering special educa- would be nice if we could get some $189 Mail - outside WI to $65,000 on interest costs by pay- ing of more debt now. tion. stabilization or develop a trend Fischer told the board that Fischer noted that $857,000 of where it goes up every year.” Member, Wisconsin Newspaper Assoiation this was a good time to get ahead that expense is going to the three on the debt, due to higher prop- parochial schools in Shawano — [email protected] CORRECTIONS Accuracy is important to the Shawano Leader, and it wants to correct mistakes promptly. Call errors to our attention by phone at 715-526-2121, ext. 7018 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019 t/&8.&%*"tXXXOFXNFEJBXJDPNtPAGE 3 Bank holds open house The Denmark State Bank celebrates its new location at 835 E. Green Bay St., Shawano, on Saturday with music, food, a petting zoo, face painting and tours of the new building. Scot Thomson, bank president, said the community celebration represented the philosophy of the bank, which is to provide a local banking option for area residents. The bank, which has been in Shawano for 3 1/2 years, provides banking for agricultural, commercial and retail businesses and “everything else,” Thomson said. $"30-3:$;&,]/&8.&%*" PAGE 4 t/&8.&%*"twww.newmedia-wi.comt WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019 Goodfellows ready to give again Donations being taken during November By GRACE KIRCHNER Kwik Trip. Correspondent “Cash is the easiest way to give,” Conrad said. “However, we have CLINTONVILLE — With the had everything from paper prod- holiday season fast approaching, ucts to toys. Cash is always good the Goodfellows, a local chari- because we can always increase the table group from Clintonville and food voucher, and they can pur- Marion, is busy preparing for their chase items.” 69th year of distributing food, toys From Friday through Nov. 15, and other items to needy individu- volunteers begin the process of als and families in the area. collecting the names of potential “Last year, we helped 693 people, recipients, individuals and families including 115 families and individu- identifed as such, are then con- als,” said Steve Conrad, president. tacted by Goodfellows members to With the distribution now verify their applications. Shortly including the residents in both the thereafter, recipients are selected Clintonville and Marion school dis- and notifed of their inclusion in the tricts, the eforts to serve the less program for that year.