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Onalaska board backs tax‑bill transparency resolution on voucher payments
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Summary
The board approved resolution 2026-005 asking to disclose per-pupil voucher payments and equalized aid withheld to fund private school and charter vouchers, with staff noting the county must approve text printed on property tax bills.
The Onalaska School District board on April 27 approved resolution 2026‑005, a transparency measure that would report per‑pupil private‑school voucher and charter payments and the amount of equalized aid withheld to fund those payments. The resolution also seeks cooperation from neighboring districts and municipalities to place a short statement on property tax bills.
Board members said the goal is disclosure, not criticism. "It's not an attack on those institutions. It's just a transparency initiative to really outline how the funds are being spent," a board member involved in drafting the resolution said, noting the district’s intent to show taxpayers how withheld aid has grown over the past decade.
Staff explained the mechanics: to display the statement on tax bills the county would need to implement the text, and municipalities that include district property tax levies would need to cooperate. The resolution presents three figures for clarity: per‑pupil voucher payments, equalized aid withheld for private vouchers and charter payments, and the total equalized aid withheld. Staff cited a near‑tenfold increase (reported in the meeting as a 958% growth figure over 10 years) in withheld aid in the district’s historical review.
The board approved the resolution by roll call and thanked staff and trustees who researched and drafted the language. Next steps include outreach to municipal and county officials to request inclusion on tax bills and coordination with neighboring districts to standardize the approach.
