Wisconsin / School Districts / Appleton Area School District
Superintendent Greg Hartjes says the Appleton Area School District will ask voters to approve $15 million per year for four years to address a $13 million accumulated deficit and to add student supports — six counselor equivalents, seven social workers, three ESL positions and a half-time credit-recovery role.
Wisconsin / School Districts / Appleton Area School District
Superintendent Greg Hartjes said the district's health insurance costs rose from about $29.5 million in 2022 to a projected roughly $41.4 million in 2025 after a carrier folded and the district began self‑funding, placing added pressure on the budget.
Wisconsin / School Districts / Appleton Area School District
Superintendent Greg Hartjes said the district cut 62 classroom teacher positions over eight years (about $6 million saved), left many non‑teaching positions unfilled (about $700,000), added some staff for students in need and credited a 2022 referendum for program expansions; he listed multiple facilities savings.
Wisconsin / School Districts / Appleton Area School District
Superintendent Greg Hartjes says the district faces a $13 million deficit driven by years of state funding that lagged inflation, rising special-education and cybersecurity costs, and health-plan changes; he announced a four-year referendum in April proposing $15 per $100,000 in property tax.
Wisconsin / School Districts / Appleton Area School District
Foster Elementary leaders outlined student achievement gains and proposed priorities for a five-year charter renewal, including exploring a full-day 4K via a DPI expansion grant. Board members pressed for clearer contract language requiring board approval of any expansion and questioned a 150-student termination threshold.
Wisconsin / School Districts / Appleton Area School District
FCLA leaders told the board the half-day, project-based program at Appleton North has recovered enrollment since Covid, aims to expand toward 125 students and will apply for a 20% growth expansion grant; students described shadow days and strong community bonds.
Wisconsin / School Districts / Appleton Area School District
District staff proposed consolidating early-entrance policies for kindergarten and first grade (policy 4.21) with a standardized screening process, consistent assessments and an appeals path to the board for superior-case decisions.
Wisconsin / School Districts / Appleton Area School District
District staff recommended closing most special-education program spots to incoming out-of-district open-enrollment applicants citing workload-capacity and program ceilings; the board approved the recommendation by roll call.
Wisconsin / School Districts / Appleton Area School District
Greg Hartjes, superintendent for the Appleton Area School District, says state and local tax burdens have fallen as a share of personal income and used two homeowner examples to show local tax changes. He projects an April referendum would raise the example Grand Chute bill by $75 next year.
Wisconsin / School Districts / Appleton Area School District
Superintendent Greg Hartjes said three factors explain recent school property-tax increases: a 7.9% revenue-limit rise not matched by state aid, a 12.1% jump in payments to Catholic and Lutheran schools via the state's voucher program (about $9.3 million), and local reassessments in places such as Grand Chute.