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Middleton-Cross Plains district warns state funding cap has left schools $23.1 million short
Summary
A district presenter said Wisconsin's revenue limit has not kept pace with inflation, leaving the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District an estimated $23.1 million short by the end of 2025 and urging community support as staffing consumes roughly 80% of the budget.
A presenter for the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District said the state's per-student revenue limit has not kept pace with inflation and that "by the end of 2025, the revenue limit will have fallen more than $3,300 per student behind inflation." The presenter said that gap translates to a decrease of more than $23,100,000 for the district's roughly 7,000 students.
The presenter described the revenue limit as a statutory cap on how much districts may spend per student, noting that most K-12 funding in Wisconsin comes from a mix of state dollars and local property taxes. "Schools, like any organization, need money to operate," the presenter said, and that shortfalls force districts to use general fund dollars to cover students'specific needs.
The presentation reviewed the policy'history: caps were adjusted for inflation from 1994 to 2009, which helped districts keep pace with costs, but since 2010 those adjustments have not kept up, the speaker said. The presenter also said revenue caps differ across districts and are not tied to student needs or the local cost of providing services, which can create unequal capacity among districts to meet students'needs.
At Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, the presenter said about 80% of the budget goes to staffing and benefits. "Our people are the heart of our schools," the presenter said, arguing that deferring maintenance, cutting programs, or reducing staff are short-term tactics that can harm education if prolonged.
The presenter urged the community to act rather than waiting for changes at the state level. "By putting the needs of our students first, we are investing in their potential and the future of our whole community," the speaker said, and directed listeners to the district website for more information about school finance in Wisconsin. The presentation included no formal motions, votes, or specific legislative proposals; the presenter did not specify which state statute sets the revenue limit.
