Chippewa Falls board adopts $70.36 million 2025–26 budget, cites state-aid drop and referendum support

The Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District board approved the final 2025–26 budget following the district’s annual budget hearing. The motion to adopt the budget passed on a roll-call vote with all listed members recorded in favor.

Superintendent Mr. Holmes opened the hearing by calling the budget “a critical moment of transparency and accountability to the community we serve,” and said it aligns district spending with the district’s four strategic pillars and the commitments approved by voters in the 2024 operational referendum. He told the board the district serves 4,516 students and employs nearly 700 staff members and described the plan as one that balances fiscal discipline with maintaining educational programs.

Business manager Chad Trobridge presented the budget details and fund structure. Trobridge said Fund 10 (the general fund) shows total revenue just over $70,360,000 and that the general-fund expenditures are balanced to the same approximate amount. He told trustees state aid is down “a little over $862,000” this year and that the proposed property tax levy is up about $1.5 million, attributing most of the levy increase to the aid reduction and to voucher-program aid deductions now in effect statewide. Trobridge also noted federal pandemic-era ESSER funding has expired, returning federal aid to more typical levels.

The presentation broke the budget down by fund: general fund revenues and expenditures, special projects, special education (Fund 27, including required transfers), debt service (Fund 39), capital projects (Fund 49, winding down from the 2018 referendum), food service (Fund 50), the employee benefit trust (Fund 73) and the community service fund (Fund 80). Trobridge said roughly 58% of district spending is for salaries and benefits, and that special education reimbursement increases are improving state-source projections for that fund.

Officials highlighted several priorities tied to the strategic plan: using the college-and-career-readiness dashboard to set building-level student-success goals; increasing secondary community-service tracking and student participation; raising the percentage of students with disabilities educated with general-education peers at least 80% of the day; strengthening staff feedback and onboarding practices; and developing a long-range facilities plan and consistent emergency-response protocols.

Trustees asked clarifying questions, including whether recent reassessments were included in the district’s equalized valuation. Trobridge said inclusion depends on valuation timing. No members of the public signed up to speak on agenda-related items.

A motion to approve the final 2025–26 budget was made and seconded; the roll-call recorded the following votes as affirmative: Dennis Fear, Sharon M, Sherry Jasper, Dave Martino, Peggy Mcllum, Steve Wilson and Dave Chip. The president announced the motion carried. The board then moved to adjourn and ended the meeting at 5:49 p.m.

Looking ahead, Mr. Holmes noted the operational referendum secures stability through 2026–27 but that the district must plan for sustainable funding beyond that period, including possible advocacy to state legislators or consideration of future referenda.