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Waunakee board readies special meeting as enrollment drop complicates tax-levy plan
Summary
Board members reviewed options to reduce a projected tax-levy increase after state aid changes and an official decline in enrollment. Administration will present a proposed budget and levy at a special meeting Oct. 30; board discussed refinancing debt or using one-time funds but took no immediate action.
The Waunakee Community School District Board of Education was briefed on Wednesday on options to reduce a projected spike in the district tax levy after state aid changes and an official decline in student enrollment.
Steve (presenter) told trustees the district’s July DPI estimate and changes in state equalization aid combined to push the tax‑levy projection from “a little over 6%” to more than 10%. He said an estimated redistribution of about $1.1 million that the district received the prior year was being reallocated under the state aid formula, and a $325‑per‑student funding increase was not covered in equalization aid.
Those two shifts, Steve said, created the larger levy projection. Administration proposed several options trustees could consider to bring the levy back toward the 6% range discussed in earlier drafts — refinancing existing debt, using one‑time funds (including $1 million from a prior reimbursement), or applying savings from prior projects.
Board members did not take a vote but set a special meeting for Oct. 30 to adopt a final tax levy and budget. Steve said the board could also choose to move forward with a short‑term use of the district’s debt service fund (fund 39) to make April 1 debt payments, which would buy time for longer‑term decisions on refinancing or use of one‑time funds.
Why it matters: The board will need to decide between options that trade off near‑term levy relief with longer‑term financial flexibility. Administrators said additional materials and public outreach on the budget and levy will be provided in November.
What’s next: Administration will present a budget and specific levy proposal at the Oct. 30 special meeting and continue community outreach in November.
