It’s official.
Marysville Schools will not return to the ballot in November, following a failed levy attempt in May. Thursday the Maryville Board of Education voted 4-1 against making another levy try later this year, with member Jermaine Ferguson offering the dissenting vote.
“We talk about listening to our community and I think, in the election, they gave strong voice,” Board member Dick Smith said.
Despite many members previously saying a return to the ballot in the fall was necessary, a sentiment echoed in the district’s Monarch Monthly newsletter, several members reversed course. Fueling the about-face was a state budget that infused another $3 million annually into the district and a survey after the levy defeat that showed overall voter apathy to any kind of tax issue.
“We’ve heard that we need to tighten our belts,” Superintendent Diane Allen said. “We have been, but we’re going to continue to do that and ask the community to support us.”
The decision to skip the fall election doesn’t mean the district’s need for funds has evaporated. District’s expenses are currently outpacing revenues by more than $3 million, and the district will burn through cash reserves in fiscal year 2026.
The $3 million boost in state funds, combined with $2.6 million in savings from contingency plans, have given the district a small cushion while it re-evaluates its levy strategy. The contingency plan includes a reduction of 31 staff position through attrition as well as cuts in transportation and coaches/advisors for extra-curricular programs.
At a work session Monday, board members noted that the disconnect between voters and the district is a chasm too wide to bridge in the short turn-around to the November election.
For Ferguson, the bridge was less important than the source of the chasm.
“Why do we not have support in our community?” he said Thursday. “And why are we not willing to fight at the earliest opportunity?”
Those against the levy attempt noted that more time will allow the district to address the myriad of reasons residents cited behind their “no” votes. Board member Nan Savidge said there is much work to be done to remedy “misconceptions” filtering through the community.
“I believe, if we take time and do this in the proper manner, we will be successful next time,” Smith said.
Ferguson continued to echo his previous statements that children will suffer until a new-money issue is passed.
“I’m making this decision for what’s in best interest of students,” Ferguson said. “It’s important to our students to have reasonable class sizes.”
After the fall election, March of 2024 would be the district would be the next opportunity for the district to appear before voters. While Allen said the district definitely needs to be on the ballot in 2024, she would not say if she felt March or the November Presidential Election should be the target.
Allen said the district continues to gather information in order to determine if a strategy favors one 2024 election over the other.
Complicating the issue, is the levy impact on collective bargaining negotiations which are set to begin in the spring. The district and its union, including the Monarch Education Association which represents teachers, work on three-year contracts.
Allen said district officials meet regularly with union representatives, so both sides are up to speed on the situation.
“We have a good working relationship with our unions,” Allen said. “And so they’re well aware of where we are financially all the time.”
Allen said the funding constraints present a particular challenge as districts struggle to find qualified teachers.
“We’re in a teacher shortage and we have to be competitive,” the superintendent said.
Allen gave no indication that teachers would be asked to make concessions, noting that to even retain existing staff the district would have to offer competitive compensation.
“Our people have done amazing work,” Allen said. “Coming out of the pandemic, during the pandemic, they have championed and, you see, we’re still getting great results.”
Allen was referring to a report earlier in the meeting from Director of Continuous Improvement Mark Gallagher on the district’s state report card data.
Gallagher said the district received a 4.5 star overall rating on a five-star scale.
Highlights of the presentation included:
-The district receiving five stars for gap closing and graduation rate and four stars in achievement, improving in 16 of 20 tested areas. Early literacy lagged at three stars. Gap closing measures the performance of the most vulnerable of student subgroups, such as students with disabilities or those economically disadvantaged.
-Edgewood and Northwood elementaries being named five-star schools. All elementaries received five stars in gap closing, while Mill Valley, Navin and Raymond got four stars in achievement.
–Creekview and Bunsold received five stars in gap closing and four stars in achievement.
–The Early College High School received five stars in the achievement component and four stars in gap closing, while Marysville High School received three stars in each.
-Language arts has showed a three-year trend of substantial improvement.
-Social studies and science scores have returned to previous highs after a dip.
-Across the board, subgroups, showed improved performance.
“Math is our greatest area of need in the organization right now,” Gallagher said.