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Mukwonago board hears budget scenarios showing roughly $1.2M shortfall; advanced school-safety system estimated at $1.6M
Summary
District finance staff told the Mukwonago School Board the general fund faces about a $1.2 million deficit in 2025–26 driven largely by planned technology projects; staff outlined trade-offs between salary and insurance assumptions and described an advanced school-safety camera/AI option that in a quoted estimate totaled about $1.6 million all‑in.
The Mukwonago School Board was presented on Feb. 10 with budget scenarios that show a general-fund shortfall of roughly $1,200,000 for 2025–26, driven mainly, staff said, by a planned technology project.
Tom (district finance presenter) told the board that the district’s baseline scenario assumes a decline of about 125 students and a per‑pupil revenue increase in the example of $325, and that those and other assumptions drive the projections. "Right now as I said to you back in January we have a about a $1,200,000 deficit," he said.
Why it matters: the presentation framed the district’s near‑term choices as trade-offs among compensation, health‑insurance inflation and capital/technology investments. Finance staff illustrated the sensitivity: each 1 percentage point in the salary increase assumption equals about $400,000 in recurring cost. Staff also showed a scenario where health‑insurance inflation rising from 5% to 10% would push costs higher by about $310,000.
School‑safety technology was a focal point. Tom described an AI‑enabled system the district reviewed in a neighboring district and supplied an estimate: "all in was about $1,600,000," he said, and added that getting the district’s network backbone ready would itself require an estimated $1,200,000 in upgrades. Staff said the security option is capital‑intensive but would be implemented in phases if the board chooses to proceed.
Special‑education funding also featured in the budget math. Staff noted current state special‑education reimbursement at about 30% and said an increase to 40% would add roughly $1,000,000 in revenue under an example scenario—highlighting how state funding policy changes can materially change local budget outcomes.
Board members asked for more detail on the phased costs for infrastructure, the recurring versus one‑time elements of any AI subscription or licensing, and the implications for bargaining and staff compensation. Tom said the district would return with refined assumptions and a memo with recommendations ahead of the budget decisions expected in March–May.
Next steps: staff will circulate a memo with recommended budgeting assumptions, health‑insurance and salary scenarios, and further cost breakdowns for the proposed safety system. The board did not take a budget vote at the meeting.
