IOWA-GRANT'S PANTHER PRESS

Referendum Impact on Property Tax Bills:

As constituents are receiving their property tax bills, questions arise as to why the tax increases are so much higher than published in the information about the tax impact of the referendum. The simplest answer is that as presented at a series of municipal meetings, the annual meeting and the Family and Community Town Supper, the levy (taxes) were going to go up regardless of the referendum. The estimates were focused on the tax impact of the referendum. As it turns out, a significant loss of state aid, money going to private voucher schools, coupled with the allowable increase of $325 per pupil drove up taxes more than the referendum itself. Beyond this, there are some subtleties among the municipalities in the district due to reassessment of property values. Property owners in each municipality shared a disproportionate burden of the referendum depending upon the ratio of their assessed value to fair market value. When these values become too far apart, property may be reassessed so that the tax burden will become more evenly distributed. Wis. Stats Section 70.05(5) requires each municipality to assess property within ten percent of full value at least once every five years. A revaluation can also be done annually, or periodically as deemed necessary to best serve the public interest.

Below is a table with the numbers comparing the tax impact with and without the referendum and the breakout of the two main factors that drove the non-referendum tax impact.

State aid percentages are driven in part by a ratio of property value to the number of students. Overall, the Iowa-Grant School District experienced an 18% growth in property values last year, with values doubling over the past 10 years. The Iowa-Grant School District is also experiencing declining enrollment., So both the numerator and the denominator are going in unfavorable directions. These two trends drive the decrease in our state aid percentage. State aid is paid on prior year expenditures. Next year, the district should have a higher basis number when the state aid percentage is applied. In terms of budget management, I recommend that the district try to flatten out the levy to the extent possible by taking advantage of projected increases in state aid by increasing the basis, either by making the expenditures for repairs or by funding the capital projects fund.

The caveat is that this is a biennial budget year and there is no way of knowing what the legislature will do in terms of public school funding. What would be most helpful to all public schools would be increasing the percentage of state aid reimbursements for special education costs, which is projected to be under 30% for the current year for public schools, while private schools are reimbursed at 90% for the same time period. Meanwhile, Wisconsin has had record levels of surplus in the state coffers.

01/01 NO SCHOOL - Happy New Year

01/03 Wrestling: Varsity Tournament vs Multiple Schools @ La Crosse Center - The Clash

01/03 6:00 PM Basketball: Boys JV vs Cuba City (Away)

01/03 7:30 PM Basketball: Boys Varsity vs Cuba City (Away)

01/06 10:00 AM Gymnastics: Varsity Invitational vs Mount Horeb (Away)

01/06 6:00 PM Basketball: Girls JV vs Benton (Away)

01/06 7:30 PM Basketball: Girls Varsity vs Benton (Away)

01/07 6:00 PM Basketball: Girls JV vs Fennimore (Home)

01/07 6:45 PM Alumni Pep

01/07 7:30 PM Basketball: Girls Varsity vs Fennimore (Home)(Parents Night)

01/09 6:00 PM Basketball: Boys JV vs Fennimore (Home)

01/09 7:30 PM Basketball: Boys Varsity vs Fennimore (Home)(Youth Night)

01/10 6:00 PM Basketball: Girls JV vs Boscobel (Away)

01/10 6:00 PM Wrestling JV/Varsity Triangular vs Multiple Schools @ Mineral Point

01/10 7:30 PM Basketball: Girls Varsity vs Boscobel (Away)

01/11 4:00 PM SWAL Honors Band Concert @ Mineral Point

01/13 6:00 PM Gymnastics: Varsity Meet vs Platteville (Away)

01/13 6:30 PM Board Meeting

01/14 6:00 PM Basketball: Boys JV vs Mineral Point (Away)

01/14 7:30 PM Basketball: Boys Varsity vs Mineral Point (Away)

01/15 1st Semester Finals - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 7th Hours

01/16 1st Semester Finals - 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th Hours

01/16 6:00 PM Basketball: Boys Freshmen vs New Glarus (Home) (IGEMS)

01/16 6:00 PM Basketball: Girls JV vs Mineral Point (Home)

01/16 6:45 PM Girls Basketball Pep Band

01/16 7:30 PM Basketball: Girls Varsity vs Mineral Point (Home)

01/17 End Of 1st Semester

01/17 5:15 PM Basketball: Girls JV Triangular vs Multiple Schools @ Wauzeka-Steuben HS

01/17 6:00 PM Basketball: Boys JV vs Riverdale (Away)

01/17 6:00 PM Wrestling: JV/Varsity Match vs Riverdale (Home)(IGHS)

01/17 7:30 PM Basketball: Varsity vs Riverdale (Away)

01/18 TBD Wrestling: Varsity Invitational vs Batavia @ Batavia HS

01/20 NO SCHOOL

01/20 6:00 PM Gymnastics: Varsity Meet vs Southwestern @ Dodgeville HS (Parents Night)

01/21 6:00 PM Basketball: Girls Varsity vs Southwestern (Away)

01/21 7:30 PM Basketball: Boys Varsity vs Madison Country Day (Home)

01/23 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Honors Choir Practice @ Iowa-Grant

01/24 6:00 PM Basketball: Girls JV vs Cuba City (Home)

01/24 6:00 PM Wrestling: JV/Varsity Triangular vs Multiple Schools @ Cuba City HS

01/24 7:30 PM Basketball: Girls Varsity vs Cuba City (Home)(Panther Dancers)

01/25 4:00 PM Honors Choir Performance @ IGHS

01/27 6:00 PM Basketball: Boys Freshmen vs Wisconsin Heights (Home) (IGEMS)

01/27 6:00 PM Gymnastics: Varsity Meet vs River Valley @ River Valley HS

01/28 6:00 PM Basketball: Boys JV vs Southwestern (Away)

01/28 6:00 PM Basketball: Girls Varsity vs Lancaster (Away)

01/28 7:00 PM Wrestling: JV/Varsity vs Boscobel @ Highland HS (Parent/Senior Night)

01/28 7:30 PM Basketball: Boys Varsity vs Southwestern (Away)

01/28 7:30 PM Basketball: Girls JV vs Lancaster (Away)

01/30 6:00 PM Basketball: Girls JV vs Darlington (Away)

01/30 7:30 PM Basketball: Girls Varsity vs Darlington (Away)

01/31 6:00 PM Basketball: Boys JV vs Boscobel (Home)

01/31 6:45 PM Boys Basketball Pep Band

01/31 7:30 PM Basketball: Boys Varsity vs Boscobel (Home) (Parents Night)

Just a reminder that there is a Mattress Fundraiser meeting for parents of current 8th - 12th grade band and/or choir students on Tuesday, January 7th at 6:00 PM in the IGHS Band Room.

The Music Department will receive $5.00 for every parent that attends.

Do you play an instrument? Doesn't matter if you're talented or haven't played in decades... the more the merrier! Come join the pep band for Alumni Pep Night on Tuesday, January 7th. Alumni, staff, and family are all invited.

Welcome 2025! We welcome back students and staff to the new year! We are about to finish the first semester already. There will be no school on January 20th for teachers to participate in professional development and finish grading. On January 17th, students will have the 2nd quarter pep rally to wrap up the first semester.

Middle school girls' basketball and wrestling will be off and running this month. Honors band students will perform this month. The annual spelling bee will be on January 9th at 2:00 p.m. Students in the elementary and middle school will complete their mid-year NWEA maps testing as we prepare for our Forward Exam this spring. It seems like this school year is flying by!

I wish you a fantastic start to 2025!

Child Development Day & Full-Day 4K FAQs

On January 20th, we will be hosting Child Development Day, informational sessions for parents and preschool screening sessions for students eligible to attend 4K next school year (2025-2026). Below you will find some frequently asked questions and answers about Child Development Day and our full-day four-year-old kindergarten program:

• Who should attend Child Development Day? Anyone who lives in the Iowa-Grant School District who has a child turning 4 on or before September 1, 2025 should plan to attend.

• How long will the screening last? One hour. Your child will be with 4K staff members, and you will meet with Mrs. Bast during this time.

• Will I be able to see the 4K Rooms? Yes!

• Do I need to register now or can we show up at the door? Please call our school office and speak with Mrs. Kennicker. The sooner you call, the more likely your preferred time slot will be available.

• What if I’m not sure my child is ready for 4K? This event is designed to assess preschool readiness skills and to answer your questions about your child’s development and our school’s programming, so you can make an informed decision regarding your child’s educational needs.

• What if I have concerns about my child’s speech & language development? Please let the school know of any concerns you have when calling to set up your screening appointment. We will have a Speech Language Pathologist available for this purpose.

• Who are the 4K teachers? Mrs. Tricia Sander and Mrs. Kristen Nelson bring many years of teaching experience to our 4K program. Our teaching assistants and Mrs. Darcy Breuer (Early Childhood) are also vital to our program’s success.

• What if my child is not yet toilet trained? We expect all 4K students to be fully toilet trained (wearing underwear, not pull-ups) when entering our program in September.

• Is transportation provided for 4K students? Yes, 4-year-old students are able to ride the bus to and from school. They follow the same school hours and calendar as our other elementary students.

• What if my child still takes a nap each day? Rest time is included in the daily program schedule, and many children sleep during this rest time.

• Do I need to pack a lunch for my child? Students are able to eat a cold lunch provided by their home or they may purchase a hot lunch prepared by our food service staff. Milk for snack time can also be purchased at school. IGEMS also offers breakfast every day to all students.

• Do the children play outside? Yes, both outdoor and indoor play are important components in their school day. We have a beautiful outdoor playground for our students!

Please use the link below to sign up online or call Christi Kennicker in the IGEMS office at 608.943.6311 ext 1000.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedlr-MhUX8kgOjfdV1AbWrXiUWhjtExaVZ8OIEvDhaXx9Guw/viewform?usp=header

Thank you to all the students and families who have brought pop tabs in. IGEMS is halfway to meeting our goal. Let's keep filling the house, to meet our goal of reaching the top by the end of the school year.

6th grade students teamed up with 2nd grade students to make cards and write letters to spread holiday cheer.

Iowa-Grant Elementary/Middle School Sources of Strength Peer Leaders held a Generosity Food Drive in December. All the collections were taken to the LCIC Emergency Food Pantry in Livingston.

5th grade students recently completed the D.A.R.E program with Officer Havlik through the Iowa County Sheriff's Department. In D.A.R.E. they learned how to make good choices and how to live healthy lives. All students had to write an essay to finish the class. Four winners had their essay selected to read at their D.A.R.E. graduation on Tuesday, December 17. Congratulations to Eden P., Rachel W., Andre C., and Logyn J. on being selected as the essay winners. Congrats to all the 5th grade on their D.A.R.E graduation accomplishments.

Students in Mrs. Heimsoth participated in a Christmas Tree STEM challenge. They were given 4 pieces of paper, scissors, tape and a glue stick. The goal was to create the tallest free standing Christmas tree. They had 25 minutes to construct with their team.

A few fourth and fifth graders enjoyed going to SWTC in the month of December to participate in the MATH 24 competition

Congratulations to Grayson J., Tyson L., Ellie H, Eden P., Kelsey B., and Bronx R. on representing IG proudly!

Thanks to CESA 3 for sponsoring this event, and to Southwest Tech for hosting.