Mercer School studies drop in tax payments

By TOM LAVENTURE

tlaventure@yourdailyglobe.com

MERCER, Wis. — The Mercer School District Board of Education is taking a look at a shortfall in property tax revenue, according to discussion at the regular board meeting on Monday.

School board president Robert Davis said he had just learned Monday that the school district’s January 2021 tax payment was $614,289. That is a $196,482 shortfall from the January 2020 tax payment of $810,771. 

“That is a significant amount relative to our budget,” Davis said. “I don’t know what the source of this shortfall is but I intend to find out.”

Mercer received approximately $2.4 million in property tax revenues in November 2019, while it received only $1.8 million in revenues in November 2020, said Tricia Thompson, the school district financial analyst and bookkeeper. Iron County has no deferment of taxes for the COVID-19 pandemic and a February revenue payment is contingent on residents payment of property taxes in January, she said. 

The board discussed various scenarios about why the drop in revenue was occurring. There is a 14% drop in local sales taxes that is most likely due to COVID-19 but the school levy is a valuation of real estate tax and not a business tax, Davis said.

Upon receipt of the 2020 balance the school district repaid the short term loan of $350,106 Davis said. With the January payment the school district repaid another $430,279 short term loan.

School board member Henry Joustra said the county should provide more detail about the decrease and what to anticipate moving forward. The only option appears to “slash the budget or borrow more money,” he said.

In the school administrator’s report, Sheri Kopka announced two new members of the school staff. Maddy Piburn is the new sixth-grade math teacher, and Johnathan Erickson, who was hired in 2020, is now at the school teaching music classes.

Keewin Wilson won first place in the Iron County Elementary Division of the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Speech Competition, she said. Iron County Land and Water sponsored the event and posted Wilson’s Jan. 12 speech, “Help save our world: Climate change in Wisconsin,” on YouTube. The Mercer fifth-grader will now go on to the state competition in March.

The Mercer School Fitness Center is now open to the groups of no more than four people by appointment, Kopka said. One individual with three guests may make a one-hour appointment between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. 

The state COVID-19 rules allow the small group workout without masks. No one else may be in the room with the people who have the room reserved.

The Mercer after-school program is now expanding to allow more than 10 students. Parents may contact the school office for more information, Kopka said.

All Mercer students are now participating with in-school learning as of Monday, she said. Juniors and seniors may continue to attend virtual classes at home and students with health issues are exempted.

A teacher inservice was held to get them acquainted with the school’s new Innovation Lab, Kopka said. The purpose was to help teachers incorporate the technology into their curriculum.

The school board will add a special meeting to a workshop at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8. Kopka will hold a presentation for the board and parents regarding advances in curriculum for “moving kids into 21st century learning.” 

The board approved Kopka’s recommendation to return to in-person school board meetings. The meetings will now be held in the cafeteria where approximately 12 members of the public may attend in addition to board and staff provided masking and social distancing protocols are followed. The option to attend meetings by Zoom link will continue.

The school board approved the open enrollment for the 2021-22 school year. There are no caps or limits on the number of students allowed to enroll in pre-kindergarten to grade 12 or special education. 

There are currently 16 open-enrolled students attending Mercer School. Two of the students are graduating in the spring.

The next regular school board meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22.