• • Jackson County Pilot

Residents of the Southwest Star Concept school district will go to the polls Tuesday to cast their vote for a ballot referendum that could very well determine whether SSC continues as it has or whether drastic changes in the way the school district operates are put into place.

Polls are open from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the SSC Elementary School in Heron Lake.

The wording of the official ballot language is as follows: “Notice is hereby given, that a special election has been called and will be held in and for Independent School District No. 330, Heron Lake-Okabena, State of Minnesota, on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, for the purpose of voting on the following question: Revoking existing revenue authorization and approving new referendum revenue authorization. The Board of Independent School District No. 330, Heron Lake-Okabena, has proposed to revoke its existing referendum revenue authorization of $1,087.23 per pupil and replace that authorization with a new authorization of $2,087.23 per pupil. The proposed referendum revenue authorization would be applicable for ten years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.”

SSC Superintendent Becky Cselovszki said she is hopeful the referendum will be approved.

“The SSC school district is a primary business of Heron Lake and Okabena,” Cselovszki said. “If this referendum does not pass, we will have to look at other options for the school district. We would have to reduce staff immediately, the quality of education for the students of this district would be diminished and there would be a loss of opportunities for the communities and their residents that are provided through the school, too, such as sports, plays, the wellness center and use of the school buildings for other events and activities.”

And it would be back to the drawing board for the school board if it doesn’t pass.

“We would have to reduce staff and look at further paring and sharing, possibly a four-day school week, or return to consolidation talks,” she said. “And we possibly could look at floating the question again for the school district, but that is expensive doing that and is not an attractive option.”

It the referendum passes, however, it would be pretty much business as usual for SSC.

“It would be maintaining what we have and are doing now,” Cselovszki said, “not increasing anything, but not any reductions either.”

The Heron Lake-Okabena Public School-Independent School District #330 has made available to, and mailed to all residents in the school district, a detailed brochure outlining some of the highlights and accomplishments the school district has made as well as clarifications on the proposed referendum, examples of the effect the passage of the referendum would have on residential and business property taxes, a financial planning overview and some frequently asked questions with answers regarding the referendum vote as well as the ballot language and voting information.

That brochure is available at SSC’s district office in Okabena.