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Appleton Area School District warns of multiyear structural deficit; board favors debt plan that preserves referendum flexibility
Summary
Board heard a budget update showing a structural deficit through 2026–27, discussed operational referendum timing and directed staff to pursue a debt issuance structure that creates levy capacity while increasing long‑term interest costs.
The Appleton Area School District board heard a financial update and directed staff to pursue a debt issuance structure that would preserve levy capacity for a possible operational referendum while increasing long‑term interest costs.
The district’s director of business services, Holly Byrne, told the board the district began the 2024–25 fiscal year with an unassigned fund balance of about $15.3 million and a current-year budgeted deficit of about $10.9 million. Byrne said that, using current budget assumptions but excluding planned compensation or staffing changes, the district would end 2024–25 with roughly $4.4 million in unassigned funds and face a projected structural deficit of roughly $9.0 million heading into 2025–26. “We would end the year with a negative $3.5 million in our unassigned funds” under the worst‑case assumptions shown for 2025–26, Byrne said.
The update framed 2026–27 as a target year to correct the structural deficit. Byrne and superintendent Mr.…
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