Oak Creek-Franklin approves $44.7 million levy, adopts preliminary 2025–26 budget; superintendent outlines pools and strategic plan

Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District electors on Aug. 26 approved a $44,676,279 tax levy for the 2025–26 school year and the school board adopted a preliminary budget for the same year.

Superintendent Dan Thielen opened the evening with a district overview that prioritized three areas for 2025–26: facilities management, academic oversight and board governance. He told the room the district plans to build a community pool and a competition pool funded by a referendum voters approved last November, saying the measure passed with about 60% support. Thielen warned materials delays have moved the likely completion from 2026 to 2027 but said staff are seeking ways to speed the work.

“Originally, we were looking at completion of 2026, but there has been a couple delays in terms of some of the materials that are needed… So we are looking at 2027,” Thielen said.

Blaise, the district’s budget presenter, walked through the budget-development timeline and the state budget’s impact. He said the July 3 biennial state budget raised the per‑pupil revenue limit by $3.25 but provided no increase in equalization aid, forcing more of the cost of that authority onto local taxpayers. He called that combination “the good with the bad,” noting that a $3.25 per‑pupil increase is helpful in authority but that a $0 increase in equalization aid shifts the burden to the local levy.

The presenter also highlighted several items that will affect final numbers in October: an increase in the open‑enrollment transfer amount (from $8,962 to $10,102 per student, which raises both revenue and expense) and a rise in private voucher payments (from $12,731 to $13,371). He said special‑education aid increased but remains prorated and will likely leave significant costs in the general fund.

Blaise summarized the district’s proposed levy picture: a projected levy increase of $1.3 million (about 3.02%), with a combined levy near $44.6 million and an estimated equalized mill rate of 7.18 assuming 5% equalized value growth. He cautioned the final mill rate and total levy effect depend on October figures from state agencies, especially the certified state aid and voucher amounts from the Department of Public Instruction.

Resident Bill McIntosh used the public‑comment period to urge tighter operational spending. McIntosh praised the presentation but warned that district debt has grown and that operational and district-office costs are high. “We are the tenth to twelfth largest school district in the state of Wisconsin… and when you talk about the salary expenditures of about 72%… that’s including everybody in our district,” McIntosh said, adding that more of the levy is going to debt service than classroom expenses.

On motions and votes, the board approved the preliminary 2025–26 budget as presented. Later in the annual meeting, electors voted to:

- Adopt a tax levy of $44,676,279 for the 2025–26 school year (motion moved and seconded, carried by raised‑hand vote). - Set annual school‑board salaries at $5,800 for the president and $5,500 for other members for 2025–26 (motion by Kinnear, seconded by Whitman; electors approved). - Authorize payment of actual and necessary expenses for board members when traveling on district business (motion moved and approved). - Set the 2026 annual meeting for Aug. 24, 2026, immediately following the budget hearing at the Performing Arts and Education Center at the address stated during the motion (electors approved).

During the annual meeting portion, electors also nominated and elected Board President Frank Carini as chair for the remainder of the meeting after a hand vote in which two electors were recorded as opposed.

What’s next: final certified pupil counts, voucher amounts and state aid figures arrive in October, after which the board will receive firmed numbers and certify the final levy. The board’s presentations signaled key near‑term steps — bringing the special‑education master plan and the strategic plan to the board in September and continuing planning work on facilities and policy updates — while leaving the final tax impact contingent on the October certifications.