Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Enrollment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District reports drop in resident enrollment; estimates $980,000 declining-enrollment exemption, schedules enrollment study
Summary
District officials told the board enrollment fell about 220 resident FTE, triggering an estimated $980,000 declining-enrollment exemption; the district will commission an enrollment study and expects certified property values and state aid changes to shape next year’s budget.
Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District officials told the school board on Oct. 13 that the district’s Oct. 1 pupil count showed a decline that will activate Wisconsin’s declining-enrollment exemption and affect the 2026–27 budget.
District staff said the October pupil count was down by about 220 resident full‑time‑equivalent students and that the district’s declining-enrollment exemption is currently estimated at roughly $980,000. The exemption reduces the immediate budgetary impact of enrollment swings by allowing districts a one‑year adjustment window.
Chief financial and enrollment presenters (Blaise) said the district will start a formal enrollment study with consultant MD Rolfers beginning Nov. 15; the study’s projections are expected to be available around February–March and will inform budget planning for 2026–27.
Administrators flagged a large decline in four‑year‑old (4K) enrollments — a cohort the district said may reflect births during the COVID period — and noted that 5K enrollment increased this year. They also said residents’ open‑enrollment‑out numbers (students who live in Oak Creek‑Franklin but attend elsewhere) have fallen from roughly 500 to 446 over recent years.
The district reported an increase in certified equalized property value of 12.78% on Oct. 1 and reiterated that the final levy and mill rate for the coming year will be set after certified state aid figures arrive Oct. 15. The administration estimated an approximate $325 per‑student authority in the biennium’s second year that could translate to about $1.9 million in state aid, with roughly $900,000 in new money available in 2026–27 after accounting for the expiring declining-enrollment exemption.
Board members asked about the competitiveness of Oak Creek’s half‑day 4K program and whether families might be choosing to delay until 5K. Administrators said full‑day 4K would be financially challenging without additional funding and would require substantially more staffing and space.
District officials said they will continue to monitor enrollment trends, use the forthcoming consultant study to refine projections, and incorporate those findings into next spring’s budget process.
