[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6209512,"mediaKeyId","3734277-ab1e1ccc03bf0c95a459dd5f9037ba85","parentId",3734277,"title","District staff propose 10¢ paid-lunch increase and keep student fees unchanged; board weighs communication and meal debt","audioSeconds",1515,"startMs",3700000,"endMs",5215000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3734277-ab1e1ccc03bf0c95a459dd5f9037ba85&start=3700&end=5215","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3734277-ab1e1ccc03bf0c95a459dd5f9037ba85/thumbnail_3700000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6209512/Wisconsin/District-staff-propose-10-paid-lunch-increase-and-keep-student-fees-unchanged-board-weighs-communication-and-meal-debt","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209512-d6d7638fb735325a62c78d84f37ef105/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150475&Signature=OHJ-GAHv2WYktU4fBAhFd~15nCsxoBQsd0OhAPtytjGb-vk4U3cZa9OHCYZJHrriyuH2zYboBHYibqpz5keWKBku3~gKSBnV9Xz0W~wsyyGZg6LwcseEMlTWXXkO5~1pSyxt5cNQ7cvkuSrWXNVhLErXR7OhTmlogkxHGRIKyef~nVvPixi9nrmm1RECsFMKxuXNd3wXr3DnF0Dd91AOpuKtKq7MP66S1DC8OYA7bHCc3cjrgLc1I8KbLoWHEoV~Ct4jIhiNHHLDzQKOdGWGel3kKYgS9NigtZxTbqyutXvyIdq4yNxozTjeO82ni1qVn86L99C3uKqAPBP-1dyA9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fond du Lac School District, WI ","date","2025-06-10T08:52:58.387Z","article","District finance and food-service staff proposed a 10¢ increase to paid student meal prices during a June workshop and recommended no change to the district’s standard student fees. The board signaled general support for incremental increases to preserve long-term fiscal sustainability but asked administrators to boost community outreach and to provide more program-level detail on fees and waivers.

Why this matters: Federal rules and state guidance (paid-lunch equity, PLE) constrain how school meal programs are accounted for. If meal prices are held flat while costs rise, the district risks larger, less-palatable increases later or needing to cover food-service shortfalls from the general fund.

Finance staff presented the rationale. Staff member Mike Gerlach said the district has been able to avoid PLE-driven increases in part because Fund 50 has maintained a positive balance. He told the board a gradual increase is intended to prevent a larger single-year jump later: “If you do not begin incrementally increasing in 10¢ increments, you could be faced with the process of a multi dollar increase for your paid students.”

Gerloch (staff) also told the board the district is carrying roughly $23,000 in unpaid meal charges for students who were not eligible for free or reduced-price meals; under federal rules those unpaid balances cannot be paid from food-service funds and the district must transfer local general-fund money to clear the debt. Gerlach said, “At fiscal year end in June, we will have to take $23,000 from Fund 10 to pay off that debt because we cannot use food service funds to do that.”

Board members discussed participation rates, the district’s universal free breakfast program delivered as “breakfast in the classroom,” and barriers families may face completing free/reduced applications. Administrators said many families are directly certified via state programs, the application is available electronically and in multiple languages, and food-service staff work at open houses to encourage completion. The board requested additional outreach to reduce meal debt and to help families understand confidentiality of free/reduced status.

On student fees, administration proposed no increases to required fees for the coming year; optional fees (for items like yearbooks, dual-enrollment tuition, or consumables) remain and are managed at the school level. Board members discussed whether scholarships, donations or building-level supports could cover optional items for families who cannot afford them and asked administrators to follow up on existing supports at the high school.

Ending: Administrators said they will bring formal action to raise paid meal prices by 10¢ at an upcoming meeting and will provide the board with additional data on participation, program costs, and communications strategies to help families complete free/reduced meal applications.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board Meeting 6/9/25","oneSentenceSummary","At a workshop the Fond du Lac School District presented a proposal to raise paid student meal prices by 10¢ and recommended holding student fees steady. Administrators flagged $23,000 in unpaid meal charges that must be covered from the general fund if not collected and urged increased outreach to encourage free/reduced meal applications.","taxTitle","Fond du Lac School District, School Districts, Wisconsin","taxId",38247,"location","Wisconsin","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6209517,"Fond du Lac board approves 2025–26 preliminary budget after debate over public engagement",1894,1860000,3754000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3734277-ab1e1ccc03bf0c95a459dd5f9037ba85&start=1860&end=3754","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3734277-ab1e1ccc03bf0c95a459dd5f9037ba85/thumbnail_1860000.jpg","/articles/6209517/Wisconsin/Fond-du-Lac-board-approves-202526-preliminary-budget-after-debate-over-public-engagement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209517-6388f12e555e02f7a8a72733a5d88f2d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150475&Signature=LQ5PcctDJFs0lHKcPSUj4ZRdr5Rh7nyO28OMbiPvOHeoIsdWucC9vH094WUpqpCWepQ9V4RCrjXa-ti4QYLMiBklRYPQySTm0BMPce2UXh-W~7vMQ0oPbcNuderQF0cbgcPGwvk3mK5YrmlxRW~jCbaf8YYAX~IDjO9UAH0fd08qcuzAhIJ~JVkdIFgsQiWz1W07CMAXG4IE6gREtvmJnjy1AVPcJBdP3ZClMin6JPBrtnTB72DJ5M0Z0OSkfSKM97neDOgEnfgp1nfz1jU2LrJC3mgB1YHFDgUgr24x4kAJNL3CP1fOU~JjAxp6LIVCCSzZ5AP~XZWi2OVyTdGRHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fond du Lac School District Board of Education voted 6–1 to approve the preliminary 2025–26 budget, which shows total revenue of $130,990,801 and total expenditures of $132,081,501, after more than an hour of public comment and board discussion about community engagement and program impacts.

Why this matters: The preliminary budget authorizes district administrators to spend funds necessary for operations—chiefly payroll—over the summer. Board approval gives administrators authority to meet obligations while the district finalizes enrollment and state funding figures before the fall finalization deadline.

Board President and members opened the meeting to public comment before the vote. Tiffany Brout, a parent, urged the board to “delay action tonight on the preliminary school district budget. There needs to be more time for actual public engagement with the budget process,” saying many community members do not understand how the preliminary budget and recent referendum results translate into program and staffing changes. Student speakers from Sabish Middle School also raised concerns about schedule changes and course availability that they said relate to budget-driven staffing decisions.

Superintendent Matt Steinbarth and district staff described the procedural reasons for seeking preliminary approval now. Staff member Mike Gerlach explained, “The preliminary budget is not the final budget. It is finalized at your last meeting in October no later than November 1. … Your action tonight is so that we, as administrators of the district, have authority to spend funds. Primarily, as you heard at the last meeting, that's payroll related.” Gerlach and other administrators said approving a preliminary budget gives the district the ability to pay employees through the summer while enrollment and state funding figures are finalized.

Board members pressed staff for additional detail about what programs and positions could be affected by the preliminary numbers. One board member said, “What I need … is to know that if I vote tonight in favor of this, what am I voting against? What programs am I voting that are going to be dissolved or scaled back?” District leaders said program-level decisions are still fluid and that the preliminary budget provides a baseline that will be adjusted as new information arrives.

A motion to approve the preliminary budget passed on a roll call vote: Laverance, Maine, Pannell, Frame, Henschel and Motor voted yes; Oliver voted no. The board and administration emphasized that the preliminary budget can be revised before the final adoption later in the year and encouraged community members with questions to use the district’s open-door process and the district’s posted budget workshop materials.

The board scheduled further informational opportunities: administrators said they can present additional line-level detail, demonstrate financial modeling, or hold a half-day board retreat to discuss budget transparency and engagement, depending on what level of detail the board requests.

Ending: With the vote taken, the district will proceed under the preliminary budget authorization; staff said they will continue outreach and provide additional information to board members and the public as enrollment and state funding data become available.","The Fond du Lac School District Board of Education approved a preliminary $132.08 million expenditure budget for 2025–26 on a 6–1 vote after extended discussion about public outreach and program impacts; one board member voted no and multiple speakers urged postponement to allow more community engagement.","actionData","errors"]

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District staff propose 10¢ paid-lunch increase and keep student fees unchanged; board weighs communication and meal debt

Fond du Lac board approves 2025–26 preliminary budget after debate over public engagement