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Board approves publication of preliminary 2025-26 budget as finance staff highlights special-ed aid gains
Summary
The board voted to publish the preliminary 2025-26 budget for the required public notice; finance staff said anticipated state increases in special-education aid and high-cost reimbursement improve district finances despite mixed general-aid outcomes.
The Wauwatosa School Board voted July 14 to publish the district's preliminary 2025-26 budget and set a budget hearing for July 28, while finance staff summarized expected state-aid impacts.
Scott Eker, the district finance lead, told the board that the state budget process closed in July and that the administration used conservative revenue assumptions for the preliminary publication. He identified several changes that could materially affect revenues:
- A July 1 aid estimate came in roughly $187,000 lower than the district had budgeted, but administration said that shortfall can be absorbed via the revenue cap and does not alter the published budget.
- Eker described increases in special-education aid (roughly a 10% anticipated increase) as "a big positive" for the district and said high-cost special-ed reimbursement may rise toward roughly 90% of costs, which the district estimated could translate into several hundred thousand dollars of additional revenue.
- Open-enrollment tuition reimbursement was described as increasing from initial estimates (previously reported as 20%) to what Eker later characterized as closer to 10'15%; administration said it will study whether to adjust open-enrollment policy in light of the change.
The board approved putting the preliminary budget into the newspaper and scheduled a public budget hearing. The vote to publish passed on roll call with the members present voting to proceed; a final aid certification and any adjustments will be completed after DPI finalizes state aid in October.
