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Winneconne district presents 2024–25 budget; electors approve roughly $11 million levy
Summary
District officials told electors the preliminary 2024–25 budget now shows an estimated $251,000 deficit after updated state aid; electors approved a tax levy (recorded in the annual meeting) and the board later certified a slightly different levy figure at the regular meeting.
Monica Preik, the district's budget presenter, told electors on Oct. 28 that preliminary and revised state figures had changed the district's 2024–25 estimates and that the district now projects an approximately $251,000 deficit for the coming year.
Preik said the district recorded a decline in physical seats (29 fewer students in the September count) and that open-enrollment numbers fell by 18, but that an increase in state open-enrollment funding means the district expects "to see an increase of about $230,000" in revenue tied to those students. She explained the revenue-limit worksheet used to calculate how much the district may collect and described a declining-enrollment exemption of roughly $305,000 that helps offset the loss in pupil counts.
The presenter walked through fund balances and program accounts, saying that about 66% of fund 10 (operations) is budgeted for salaries and benefits and that purchase services include transportation costs of about $1.5 million. Preik noted transfers to cover special-education costs (fund 27) and identified fund balances used for capital projects and roof replacement (fund 41 ~ $941,000; fund 46 ~ $859,000).
At the annual meeting, an elector read the levy resolution as presented to the electors: "Be it resolved that the sum of $9,669,793 is hereby levied against the taxable property of the Winneconne Community School District for current operation and that $2,033,387 is levied against the same property for debt retirement, for a total tax levy of $11,000,700." The motion to approve that levy was seconded and passed by roll-call vote recorded as 7–0.
Later, when the board reconvened its regular meeting and formally certified the levy, the board recorded slightly different totals in the certification language: $9,143,790 for current operation and $2,333,387 for debt retirement, for a total of $11,000,477.177; the board voted by roll call to certify those figures.
Why it matters: the levy and the revenue-limit worksheet determine the district's tax impact and the operational revenue available for staffing and services. Preik told the room that the mill rate adjusted to 5.74 after the October 15 state certification (down from the previously published 6.58) and that homeowners in the district should see a modest tax impact because of changed state aid and the school-levy tax credit.
Votes at a glance
- Annual meeting (electors) approved the levy as read: total $11,000,700 (vote recorded 7–0). - Board later certified a near-identical levy total in the regular meeting (certification figures recorded as $11,000,477.177; vote recorded all in favor).
Preik said the final revised budget incorporating the October 15 certification will be presented for a subsequent vote; the district's next annual meeting was set for Oct. 20, 2025.
Sources: presentation and Q&A at the Winneconne Community School District annual meeting and budget hearing on Oct. 28, 2024. All quotes and figures are as spoken during the meeting.
