Advertisement The Onalaska School District owns 10 acres on French Road adjacent to the new French Valley neighborhoods development, prompting use of the developer’s landscaping and architectural firm to plan use of the school site.
The school district bought the land in 1990 and it has remained undeveloped. “The city has indicated an interest in using the site for recreation,” school Superintendent John Burnett said. “This information lets us work with the city to see what would be appropriate on the site and where it would be appropriate.”
District architectural consultant Jerry Schomberg of Vantage Architects recommended hiring JJR.
The engineering work would be done on an hourly rate, with the total not to exceed $9,300.
French Valley developer Leo Bronston said a 110-acre residential development is planned with about 193 homes in a mixed-use residential area.
Budget up
Onalaska’s school budget is expected to rise about 6 percent for the next school year according to district finance director Larry Dalton. Last year, costs rose 10 percent.
School board members continued their review of the budget Monday.
If figures fall in line, the district levy would be $12,561,925 and the school levy portion of the total property tax levy would be $7.64 per $1,000 of equalized valuation of property, the same tax rate as this year.
The proposed budget is approximately $78,000 in deficit at this point, Dalton said. “But, we have a plan,” he said, although he added the “plan” is not ready to be shared with the school board.
“It is pretty good to be this close in a $27 million budget,” Burnett said.
Dalton cautioned school board members that the end result is unknown and will not be known until fall when the state decides how much money to give the schools.
Local budget items are basically set. It will take a pupil count and arcane formulas devised by the state that will ultimately determine how much money local taxpayers will have to pony up for local schools.
The proposed Onalaska school budget for the 2008-09 school year is $ 27,898,380, up about $900,000 from this year.
Lunch costs up
School lunches — and breakfasts — will go up a nickel starting in September, under a food service budget approved by school board members.
An elementary school breakfast would go to $1.25; middle school to $1.40 and high school to $1.50. lunch would go to $2.15 in elementary schools; $2.25 at the middle school; and $2.50 at the high school.
Meals for adults take a bigger hop to what food service director Katie Wilson calls “the real cost of meals.” Adult meals do not receive subsidies and will be charged the rate they actually cost.
Adult meals are still a bargain according to Dalton. “A healthy lunch for $3.50 is a very good price,” Dalton said.
The total school budget will go to a public hearing Aug. 25 and will get final approval Oct. 27.
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