Muskego-Norway board approves preliminary $64.6M 2025-26 budget, sets preliminary tax levy
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Summary
The Muskego‑Norway School District board approved a preliminary $64.6 million 2025‑26 budget and set a preliminary tax levy that the district projects will increase its levy by 3.96%; the board also approved several gifts and grants during the same meeting.
The Muskego‑Norway School District board approved a preliminary $64,600,000 2025‑26 budget and set a preliminary tax levy during its public meeting. An unnamed finance presenter told the board the draft budget reflects summer‑school FTEs and recent revenue‑limit changes and estimated an average tax impact of about $576 on a $100,000 home.
"We're looking at about a $64,600,000 budget," the unidentified finance presenter said. "Our school levy is anticipated to increase by 3.96%." The presenter also noted that higher special‑education reimbursements in the state budget increase spendable dollars but do not add new state aid to the district's revenue limit, shifting more cost pressure to property taxpayers.
Why it matters: The preliminary budget and levy set the framework for the district's tax levy calculation ahead of the annual meeting. The board adopted the preliminary numbers to meet state timelines; final budget and levy decisions will come after updated equalized valuations and state levy‑credit figures are published.
Board discussion focused on how equalized property values and net new construction alter homeowner impacts. The presenter said net new construction in the district provides capacity of roughly $393,000 that does not directly burden taxpayers, and walked the board through a sample calculation projecting an overall estimated tax increase scenario of about 2.79% for homeowners under certain assumptions.
Board members asked for illustrative tax‑bill examples and staff said they would provide scenarios once the state posts final equalized valuations. The presenter said the district will receive updated district count and aid figures in October and will return to the board with refined numbers before final levy action.
Actions taken: The board moved and seconded the motions on the preliminary budget and on the preliminary tax levy; both motions were approved by voice vote (chair called for ayes and declared the motions passed). The meeting record does not list individual vote tallies or the names of the motion makers.
The board also accepted a package of gifts and grants read into the record, including a donation for soccer jerseys from the Warriors Soccer Booster Club, a $10,000 gift from MHS Gridiron Club for football, and two $4,000 donations to the high‑school robotics program.
