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Wauwatosa School District previews $400,000 operating surplus while modeling a worst-case 15% state aid cut
Summary
At a June 8 budget workshop, district staff projected about a $410,000 operating surplus for 2026–27 while warning that a statutory worst‑case 15% reduction in state aid could alter tax shares; the board was briefed on planned pay increases, $1.5 million for curriculum and technology replacement needs ahead of a July 20 public hearing.
Presenter told the Wauwatosa School District board at a June 8 workshop that, after several years of tightening, staff currently project an operating surplus of about $410,000 for the 2026–27 fiscal year while reporting a larger $3.5 million chargeback that will boost fund balance figures.
The presenter said district revenues are budgeted to rise roughly 4.4% overall, with local property taxes accounting for about 58% of the revenue mix, state aid about 24%, federal funds roughly 2% and other sources (primarily open‑enrollment receipts) about 16%. “I’m calling this an operating surplus of 410,000,” the presenter said.
The presentation framed the forecast around a conservative planning assumption: staff modeled a worst‑case statutory drop in state aid of 15% and will use the July 1 Department of Public Instruction estimate to refine those numbers. The presenter explained that a cut in state aid would not necessarily shrink the district’s total revenue pie but would shift the composition of where revenue comes from, which could increase the local property tax share if state aid is lower.
On the spending side, the presenter said salaries and benefits are the largest expenditure category (about 76% of the budget). Next‑year proposals reflected a 5.2% increase for teachers, a 4% increase for other staff and a projected 7.7% rise in health insurance costs. The presenter also outlined non‑salary line items, calling out intergovernmental payments for open‑enrollment and tuition, custodial and property services, substitutes, software and tech contracts, student travel and instructional media.
District staff set aside specific amounts for planned investments: roughly $1.5 million for curriculum materials or adoptions, about $100,000 added to buildings and grounds, and $80,000 proposed for infrastructure and wireless improvements. The presenter also warned of rising costs for computer replacement driven by supply constraints and said the district is moving toward a multi‑year replacement cycle to avoid sudden large capital spikes.
Board members asked about presentation length and the level of detail to show at the regular meeting; several suggested highlighting the 15% state‑aid assumption on slides and directing the public to the finance committee materials and the May meeting video for deeper review. The presenter said the next formal steps are board approval to publish a preliminary budget (required before the July 20 public hearing), the July 20 hearing itself and final budget adoption after state aid certification around Oct. 15, with an expected final approval around Oct. 26.
The workshop opened at 5:03 p.m. and was closed by a motion and roll‑call vote at 5:36 p.m.; the board planned to reconvene the general meeting at 6:00 p.m.
