Superintendent Space Sacrifices Student Safety For More Tax Dollars

Wrightstown Community School District’s Fund 80 Shift Raises Questions 

Key Points: 

• Funding Shift: Previous superintendent Andy Space moved middle school sports funding from Fund 10 (revenue capped) to Fund 80 (uncapped revenue).
• SRO Transfer: The school resource officer (SRO) position was moved to Fund 80 for the 2023-2024 school year.
• DPI Violation: This move placed the district in direct violation of Department of Public Instruction (DPI) requirements.
• Student and Staff Safety: This move changes the primary responsibility of the office the Wrightstown School District’s officer to focus to community outreach not student safety.
• Potential Penalties: The district risks losing state funding and the SRO position due to this violation.
• Tax Burden: The shift imposed an additional $116,000 tax burden on the community.
• Questionable Judgment: Space claimed the district would not get caught unless reported by the community, raising concerns about his integrity and judgment. To make matters worse he stated this in public as a declaration to a full room of community members.
• Legal Counsel: Open records request reveal thousands spent correcting the issue. Hanson-Winker took action to undo Space misstep.

Wrightstown, WI – In a move that has left many questioning the priorities of the Wrightstown Community School District’s leadership, former superintendent Andy Space made decisions that appear to prioritize financial maneuvering over the safety and security of students. The community is left to wonder: what kind of leader places dollars above the well-being of the children entrusted to their care? 

Early last year, the previous superintendent Andy Space revealed plans to move funding of middle school sports from the general fund, Fund 10, to the community fund, Fund 80. He went on to explain that he had already moved the school resource officer (SRO) to Fund 80 for the 2023-2024 school year.

The Significance of This Move 
This decision has profound implications for the Wrightstown Community School District. By transferring the SRO to Fund 80, Space placed the district in direct violation of Department of Public Instruction (DPI) requirements, which could result in penalties. The district risks losing state funding, and if the violation had been discovered, it could have led to the loss of the SRO position. Additionally, this shift imposed an extra tax burden of $116,000 on the community.

During a November school board meeting, Space made a startling statement, claiming that the district would likely not get caught unless someone from the community reported it. This raises serious questions about his character and judgment. Honest leaders acknowledge their mistakes and take immediate steps to rectify them. In contrast, Space’s approach suggests a lack of accountability and transparency. Furthermore, his decision to make such a statement in a packed room, especially when the community was already frustrated over a debt defeasance issue that resulted in nearly $6 million in over-taxation over the past four years, demonstrates a concerning lack of foresight. How many community members would be interested in getting some of their money back? Space’s actions have put the district at risk. Is this the type of person we want to continue leading our district?

Once confronted with this information, Space denied being out of compliance and claimed that the business manager had confirmed this with DPI. However, when asked if this move fit the DPI decision tree, he denied even knowing what it was. It has now been confirmed that School Board President Angela Hansen Winker and Vice President Jeff Nelson reached out to legal counsel to ensure the safety of the students and staff would not be compromised. In addition, to protect the district from penalties and prevent the loss of the SRO. The District’s long standing law firm Buelow Vetter Buikema Olson & Vliet, LLC agreed that the district was in violation due to Space’s decision. They advised Space to adjust the 2024-2025 budget to ensure compliance and to seek a new contract with Brown County as required by DPI. Community members must now ask themselves: did Angela Hansen Winker cause the district to spend too much on legal fees, or was it the incompetence of Andy Space?

Understanding School Districts’ Fund 80 and Fund 10 
Fund 80, also known as the Community Service Fund, is designed to cover expenses related to community programs and services, such as adult education, community recreation, and non-special education preschool programs. Unlike Fund 10, which is the General Fund used for day-to-day K-12 educational operations and has a revenue limit, Fund 80 is uncapped. This means that placing more expenses into Fund 80 allows the school district to levy additional taxes without the constraints imposed on Fund 10.

The Significance of Moving the SRO to Fund 80 
The decision to move the SRO to Fund 80 is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it allows the district to bypass the revenue limits of Fund 10, thereby increasing the district’s ability to raise funds through taxes. The Wrightstown Community School District pays approximately $116,000 to the Brown County Sheriff’s Department for the SRO position. By shifting this expense to Fund 80, the district can levy more taxes to cover this cost. 

However, this move has raised concerns about transparency and the implications for community taxation. Board member Jeff Nelson has been vocal about the additional tax burden this shift places on the community. He pointed out that there are several compliance requirements with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) that must be met to ensure this move is legitimate.

Leadership Changes and Implications 
The recent retirement of Andy Space, the former superintendent, has added another layer of complexity to the situation. Space retired early to avoid a public hearing that could have revealed further issues. It has been suggested that this financial shift was one of the problems he faced, indicating that he may have been in over his head and did not fully understand the implications of his decisions. This move is seen by many as potentially making the school less safe and increasing the financial burden on taxpayers. 

Implications and Compliance 
Moving the SRO to Fund 80 is not just a simple revenue shift. There are other requirements that must be followed to ensure compliance with DPI regulations. The role of an SRO, who is primarily responsible for the safety and security of students, differs significantly from that of a community resource officer, whose focus is on community outreach. This shift could potentially alter the responsibilities and effectiveness of the SRO in maintaining school safety. Today board members Warner, Lemke, and Van Vreede continued to claim that Andy did nothing wrong.

Differences Between SRO and Community Resource Officer 
In Wisconsin, a School Resource Officer (SRO) is a certified law enforcement officer assigned to a school to ensure safety, provide law-related education, and build positive relationships with students. In contrast, a Community Resource Officer focuses more on community outreach and engagement, working on broader community safety initiatives rather than being stationed within a school. This distinction is crucial as it highlights the potential impact of funding shifts on the roles and responsibilities of these officers.

As the Wrightstown Community School District navigates these changes, the community will be closely watching to see how these financial decisions impact both taxation and school safety.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction – Fund 80 General Information 

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction – Fund 80 Decision Tree

Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops.

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