Sparta board backs $7.00 mill rate for annual meeting, approves $2.5 million cash-flow borrowing option

At the Sparta Area School District board meeting on 2025-09-22, Miss Houser, a district staff presenter, reviewed the proposed 2025–26 operating budget and asked the board to recommend a tax levy mill rate to publish ahead of the Oct. 21 annual meeting. After discussion and two roll-call votes, the board agreed to present a $7.00 total mill rate to voters for the annual meeting and separately approved a short-term cash-flow borrowing resolution not to exceed $2,500,000.

Houser summarized the district's finance picture: the district ended the prior year about $300,000 positive; projected revenue for 2025–26 is down roughly $600,000 while expenses are projected to rise about $800,000, creating a projected deficit of about $1.1 million. The board had set aside $1.5 million in reserves for revenue stabilization; using roughly $1.1 million of that would leave an estimated fund balance of about…