Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the District Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Superintendent reports budget outlook: district projects balanced 2025–26 budget amid state funding shortfalls
Summary
District administrators told the board they now project a balanced budget for 2025–26 after expense reductions and revenue increases, including higher virtual‑academy enrollment, but emphasized the state biennial budget fell short of proposals that would have provided more relief for special education and general aid.
District administrators told the board they are projecting a balanced budget for the 2025–26 school year, reversing an earlier projected deficit of about $390,000. The superintendent said the improved projection stems from expense reductions and revenue gains rather than from the state budget.
The superintendent outlined several expense and revenue items that contributed to the change. On the expense side, the district negotiated a cheaper health‑insurance plan and paused rehiring for the diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging coordinator position after that vacancy, reduced some extended contracts and moved certain services in‑house. Administrators said those changes helped preserve the district's fund balance and allowed the board to finalize a wage plan for the coming year. “We got a came in at the right time, negotiated a good deal,” a district staff member said of the health‑insurance renewal.
On the revenue side, administrators cited increased enrollment at the Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WIVA), higher open‑enrollment transfer amounts in the state budget, and a governor‑approved $325 per‑student revenue‑limit increase that the district incorporated into earlier tax estimates. The superintendent said the district expects roughly $144,000 in additional brick‑and‑mortar open‑enrollment revenue and about $194,000 for the virtual academy, subject to final attendance counts on the third Friday in September.
Board members thanked staff for the presentation but cautioned that cost‑saving moves can have real impacts on staff and families, citing health‑care changes and the paused DEI coordinator position. One board member said, “A lot of young, you know, young families changing doctors is difficult.” Administrators reiterated that the referendum the district passed did not fully resolve long‑term funding gaps and that the state funding formula remains a constraint.
Administrators outlined next steps and remaining uncertainties: the district will receive equalized values and aid estimates from state offices in October, finalize the tax levy at the October annual meeting, and report enrollment counts on the third Friday in September. The board did not take additional action at the meeting.
