Board approves tax-levy package for 2024–25 after budget presentation

The Silver Lake J1 School District board voted to approve the district’s tax-levy package for the 2024–25 fiscal year after a presentation on budgeting and staffing.

Administrator Kim told the board the district is projecting a deficit of about $147,000 for next year and outlined a recommendation to set the general fund tax levy at $2,192,512 and a debt-service levy for energy-efficiency at $514,501. "We are not we, Silver Lake, but the DPI and the power that we are lobbying for significant increases in special education funding right now," Kim said while explaining the funding pressures the district faces.

During the motion, a board member moved to approve a general fund tax levy of $2,192,512 and a debt-service tax levy of $514,501; the motion was seconded and recorded as carried. The meeting transcript records the motion as carried but contains an inconsistent total amount in different places (see clarifying details). The board also discussed the district’s staffing analysis and noted Silver Lake’s relatively high student-to-admin and student-to-staff ratios compared with nearby districts.

Kim said open enrollment gains had improved revenue and that property-value changes affected state aid calculations. "Our general fund levy is going up about $30,000 over what I told you it was going to be in the annual meeting," Kim said, and presented line items showing expected revenue and expenditures.

The board did not take additional formal action on a referendum at the meeting, but administrators framed a future referendum as one possible step to address long-term funding constraints.