Board approves publication of preliminary 2025–26 budget; special‑education reimbursement highlighted as key variable

The Wisconsin Rapids School District board on June 9 voted to publish the preliminary 2025–26 budget and set a public hearing for the June 30 budget hearing, meeting the legal notice requirement that the budget be published at least 15 days before the hearing.

District finance staff presented the preliminary fund‑by‑fund numbers and warned that the district’s final deficit will depend heavily on actions by the state legislature and Congress. Administration and the board singled out special‑education reimbursement as a critical line item: staff explained that the Legislative Fiscal Bureau had prepared motion options for Joint Finance that ranged from modest increases to larger boosts for special‑education state reimbursement, and that a meaningful increase (for example, shifting from the currently projected level toward a 35% reimbursement scenario discussed in committee materials) could reduce the district’s projected deficit by about $700,000. Staff said other changes — including a low‑revenue limit increase — would further reduce pressure on the levy and could delay or reduce the need for local budget reductions.

The board approved publishing the preliminary budget and directed administration to continue advocacy with state legislators on special‑education reimbursement and low‑revenue limit technical changes. Trustees also asked administrators to prepare scenarios reflecting multiple state funding outcomes for the upcoming budget hearing and retreat discussions.

The motion to publish the preliminary budget passed at the meeting; the board will hold a public budget hearing on June 30 and scheduled a retreat and follow‑up budget workshop in July.