Fall referendum option authorized by La Crosse school board, at last meeting before 3 newly elected members take office

La Crosse’s school board has taken care of one piece of old business, before three new board members are sworn in this month. On Monday, the board voted to have a funding referendum on the November ballot, which would help finance proposed school consolidations.

While there was talk of postponing that vote until the new members take office, current board member Juan Jimenez said it’s time for a decision on the referendum question.

“The longer we prolong that,” said Jimenez, “I think that is where, like Miss (school board president Annie) Baumann said, creates animosity. That’s what creates distrust. I think the humane thing is to make a decision today, and move forward with it, today.”

Scott Neumeister of the board argued for giving the newer members a voice in the decision. “We have three new board members coming on, and I really believe that they should have the opportunity to be part of this, because they’re gonna have to be the ones to also help sell it to the public,” said Neumeister.

The board which has been in place since the 2023 election has been debating school consolidations for a full year. On Monday, the board voted to schedule a fall referendum on borrowing $53 million. The money could assist efforts to merge Emerson and Spence into one school, as well as combining State Road and Hintgen.

Monday’s meeting was the last full session for board members Baumann, Brad Quarberg, and Jeff Jackson, who all chose not to run for re-election this spring. Newly elected members Tim Alberts, Adam Manka, and Jim Bagniewski will be sworn in at an organizational board meeting next week.