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Preliminary 2026–27 budget shows declining state aid pressure; district previews ~7.9% preliminary levy increase
Summary
Finance director Tom presented the preliminary 2026–27 budget and a preliminary tax-levy outlook that shows a potential 7.9% levy increase driven largely by lower state aid and adjustments including declining-enrollment exemption and voucher pass-throughs; final levy depends on state aid figures in October.
Mukwonago School District finance director Tom briefed the board on the preliminary 2026–27 budget and tax-levy outlook.
Tom walked the board through fund-by-fund projections. The general fund (fund 10) shows a balanced budget approach with approximately $68.3 million in budgeted revenues, and the district is using bid savings and earlier procurement steps to absorb some construction and site-change costs for the middle-school project (fund 49). He described fund 49 as holding $89.1 million for the middle-school project and noted one remaining borrow of about $7 million planned for the summer.
On revenue limits and levies, Tom explained that projected state aid for 2026–27 was estimated at $26.7 million. He described adjustments (including a $350,000 voter-approved utility charge from a prior referendum and a declining-enrollment exemption of about $1.1 million) and a nearly $1.9 million pass-through for private voucher students. Taken together, Tom presented a preliminary total levy of about $37.3 million — an increase of roughly 7.9% — and emphasized this is preliminary until state aid is finalized in October.
Board members asked comparative questions about other states’ funding models and expressed concern regarding the pressure on property taxpayers as state aid decreases; Tom emphasized the district will finalize numbers after the state announces aid figures and suggested further planning is necessary to maintain a balanced general fund.
