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Greendale School District electorate approves flat levy; balanced $37.8M 2024–25 budget adopted
Summary
Electors at the Greendale School District annual meeting approved a flat $15,431,228 tax levy and accepted a balanced $37,772,094 2024–25 budget that uses $2.5 million in operational referendum authority to sustain current programming. The vote passed on voice vote; the board will finalize the levy at its October meeting.
Greendale, Wis. — Electors at the Greendale School District annual meeting on Oct. 14 approved the district’s proposed 2024–25 tax levy and accepted a balanced operating budget that relies on voter-approved referendum authority to sustain current programming.
Director of Business Services Jonathan Mitchell presented the budget package and said, “we are presenting to the community this evening is a balanced budget of $37,772,094 and that is balanced in revenues and expenses.” He told electors that the April 2024 operational referendum authorized $2.5 million over five years and that use of the full authority is included in the proposed budget.
The treasurer reported the proposed school tax levy at $15,431,228, a total the district said is flat compared with last year. The levy breakdown announced during the meeting was $10,240,823 for general fund operations, $3,710,995 for debt service, $1,028,410 for community services and $200,000 for capital expansion. Elector Kevin Affeldt moved to approve the levy and Desmond Stoll seconded; the motion carried on a voice vote.
Why it matters: Mitchell said the referendum authority was used to avoid program cuts after the district ran a near-term deficit in 2023–24. He noted the district’s unaudited 2023–24 deficit was $1,507,642 and that reserves were tapped to maintain programming; the administration reported an ending fund balance of about $5.52 million heading into 2024–25.
Mitchell and the treasurer explained funding context: public school revenue in Wisconsin is constrained by a revenue-limit formula, which Mitchell described as driven by per-pupil allocations and a three-year enrollment average. The district reported a current-year revenue-limit per student of $12,081.90 and said state increases have lagged inflation in recent decades.
Budget details and constraints: The budget incorporates class-size targets adopted in community conversations (4K–K: 18–22; grades 1–3: 20–24; grades 4–5: 23–28; grades 6–8: 26–30; high school: 25–30). Mitchell also highlighted curriculum investments supported by the referendum and other sources, including a $374,000 local investment in the CKLA elementary English language arts program and a $52,200 federal grant for training linked to Act 20 (K–3 reading).
Board process and next steps: The chair said the board will discuss and finalize the budget and property tax levy at its regular meeting on Oct. 28. Mitchell cautioned that the district expects intra-year cash-flow needs and may use up to $2.5 million in temporary borrowing in Oct–Dec despite a 14.6% operational fund balance allocated for cash flow.
Votes at a glance: The electorate approved the 2024–25 levy as presented on a voice vote; the meeting record shows the motion carried with no recorded roll-call tallies.
