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The Review December 24, 2013
DIXON SCHOOLS | LINCOLN ELEMENTARY CLOSING
Tough call to make District will shut doors after current school year BY MATT MENCARINI
DIXON – Despite mounting financial pressures, the Dixon school board’s decision to close Lincoln Elementary was not made quickly or easily. Board members voted 4-2 during the third hour of their meeting Wednesday to close the district’s oldest building. John Jacobs and Terry Shroyer voted against the closing. Kevin Sward was absent. Josh Arduini, who voted to close the school, wanted to explore a ballot referendum to give Dixon residents the chance to vote on a tax increase to keep the school open. But as doubts arose on whether the issue could be placed on the March ballot, and whether
it would be successful, Arduini ultimately voted with Jim Schielein, Tom LeMoine and Pam Tourtillott. In October, Superintendent Michael Juenger presented the board with a proposal to close Lincoln as a way of addressing the school district’s $1.5 million deficit in the education fund for the 2013-14 school year. That would leave a fund balance of $1.4 million. “I don’t want to do any of this, mind you,� Tourtillott said. “But I would prefer to take the money from a building than from additional teachers.� The education fund pays for Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com teachers’ salaries and educaLincoln Elementary third-grade teacher Shana Engelkes leads a lesson Thursday morning at the tional programs. Dixon school. The school board voted Wednesday night to close Lincoln at the end of this school year. SCHOOL CONTINUED ON 2
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