West Bend board approves final budget and certifies tax levy; mill rate held at $6.14

Assistant Superintendent Lenny Hansen summarized the final budget data the board had been tracking: a three‑year rolling membership average of 5,684 students (the metric used to determine state funding), a roughly 9.1% increase in property values across the district, reductions in state equalization aid compared with prior estimates, and ongoing uncertainty in special education reimbursement rates. Hansen told the board the district's proposed budget remains balanced and recommended certifying the tax levy with a district‑wide mill rate that will remain flat at $6.14.

Hansen and board members discussed how state funding formulas and a fixed aid pool produce uneven results across districts; the presentation noted the district's state aid decreased and that special education reimbursement remains uncertain pending final DPI calculations.

Board members asked for and received an explanation of a noticeable increase in the purchase services expense line. Administration said that open‑enrollment and private school voucher payments flow through the district as passthrough items and that recent per‑pupil increases in those payments have materially increased the purchase services line. Administration estimated that roughly 12–13% of levy dollars are routed through the district to voucher/private providers in the current cycle.

Motion and vote: The Board President moved to approve the final budget recommendation and certify the tax levy as presented; a board member seconded the motion. The board approved the budget and levy by voice vote with all voting members saying "aye." The record notes Board member Jenkins was absent and listed as having a preexisting conflict at 06:30 and therefore not participating in that vote. The administration said the balanced general fund (Fund 10) budget and mill rate maintenance would be presented in public communications and that detailed tax bill impacts depend on municipal reassessments and property value changes.

Provenance: Budget presentation, discussion and the motion to approve appear in the meeting transcript during the finance/budget agenda item and the subsequent motion and roll call.