School board approves resolution to add tax-bill transparency line on vouchers and charter funding

At its Aug. 11, 2025, meeting, the Board of Education approved resolution 25-05 to add a line on the local property tax bill that indicates the share of taxpayer dollars that go to voucher and charter-school programs. The board approved moving the discussion item to an action item and then approved the resolution by voice vote.

The resolution, described in the public comment period as a one-line disclosure, is intended to make clear to taxpayers what portion of their taxes fund private school vouchers and charter schools rather than district public schools. "All this resolution is is simply saying that we want transparency," said Christina Quinta, a community member and longtime school advocate, during the public-comment portion. Quinta also said she has testified before state bodies on school funding and offered to assist the district in implementing the change.

Board members discussed the resolution before voting. Several members said the change is aimed at helping taxpayers understand that not all property-tax dollars shown on the bill go directly to the local district. "When we talk about meeting the needs of students, every dollar that we get as a school district, we're thinking about how do we keep this in our classrooms. These are dollars that aren't going to our students in our classrooms," said Amy (board member), explaining why the disclosure matters for classroom funding.

Board members asked operational questions about implementation, communication and cost. A board member asked whether there would be any cost associated with adding the line; the district business officer responded that a line would be pulled from the treasurer/payroll system and described the change as intended to be "pretty seamless" and to appear on the tax bill alongside other levy/ referendum information. The board also discussed whether the disclosure could be misconstrued as an argument about private versus public schooling; members said the item is intended to provide information, not to prevent school choice.

Two procedural votes moved the work forward. A motion to move resolution 25-05 from a discussion item to an action item passed by voice vote, and a later motion to approve the resolution likewise carried by voice vote. The board did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript.

Next steps, as the board described them, include communicating with the city council and other stakeholders about how the line will appear on the tax bill and relying on resources such as the Wisconsin Public Education Network and examples from Green Bay, which implemented a similar disclosure. Quinta offered to work with the district on drafting or outreach. The district indicated it will coordinate with municipal officials on timing for appearing on the December tax bill.