Eau Claire board adopts 2025-26 budget, approves levies and authorizes promissory note

The Eau Claire School Board unanimously approved the district's 2025-26 budget, set the recommended tax levies and approved a consent-agenda resolution authorizing a taxable tax- and revenue-anticipation promissory note (not to exceed $10 million) for cash-flow purposes.

Dr. Elworthy opened the special budget hearing by summarizing the district's objectives for the budget year: align spending with referendum commitments, restore fund balance, restore previously unfilled positions, provide market wage adjustments and fund priority projects including IT, curriculum and student supports. He reminded the board that the operational referendum funding is scheduled to sunset in 2028-29 and said the district must demonstrate responsible use of referendum dollars while planning for the referendum's eventual expiration.

The budget presentation highlighted that the recent state biennial budget included no new state aid for the district and that, as a result, the district's levy (property-tax) increase is approximately $6 million this year. Dr. Elworthy said the district added roughly $700,000 to the levy through an approved transfer-of-service process to fund increased special education and English-learner needs. He also noted that audit timing is in process and that audit filings are due to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) by Dec. 15.

After questions and comments from board members about funding pressure from the state and mill-rate impacts on taxpayers, the board moved to approve the 2025-26 budget as presented. The motion passed by roll-call vote with all voting members recorded as "Yes." The board then approved the recommended tax levies as presented, again by roll-call vote, and approved the consent agenda, which included the promissory-note resolution delegating authority to the executive director of business services to request advances on a line of credit at Merchants Bank through June 30, 2026.

The board's actions leave the district with a balanced budget for the coming year as presented at the hearing, subject to any subsequent changes related to the district's upcoming insurance renewal and other developments staff are tracking.