MONROE - Roughly 60 percent of area schools will see a decrease in 2017-18 state aid, in line with information released by the Wisconsin Department of Instruction specifying that 55 percent of state public schools will receive less aid than in the 2016-17 school year.
In total, $4.584 billion in aid was appropriated for the year, DPI Communications Director Tom McCarthy wrote. Of the state's 422 public districts, 230 will see a dip in aid. Some districts have seen less than a 1 percent decrease, while others - like the School District of Black Hawk - have been dealt a larger cut.
Though there will be fewer funds from the state, Black Hawk Superintendent Willy Chambers said the district will see little impact. However, taxpayers supporting the school might feel the change.
"If state aid goes down, taxes go up," Chambers said. "As long as revenues stay relatively the same."
Influences on the state aid formula include the number of full-time equivalent students enrolled, property value and certain eligible expenditures of the district, such as operating expenses or debt costs.
Chambers said during the 2015-16 school year, the district had 389 students enrolled and received $2.3 million in state aid. That year, spending by the district was also down while aid increased. In the 2016-17 school year, the district had 411 students and received $2.5 million. This year, district aid was outlined as $2.3 million, a difference of roughly $190,000, or a 7.55 percent decrease.
"It does affect the district, but really what it does is affect the tax base," Chambers said.
The aid formula includes a "hold harmless provision," the DPI release explained, which limits reductions to 15 percent of the previous year's aid. Fifty-five school districts were eligible for the provision.
Part of the reductions also accommodated Wisconsin charter schools.
"Nearly all districts will have 1.4 percent of their aid deducted, an estimated $65.9 million, to pay for the 7,850 (full-time equivalent) pupils enrolled in 23 independent charter schools," McCarthy wrote in the release.
Albany, Argyle, Juda, Monroe and New Glarus school districts were also notified of a dip in their aid allocations, though Black Hawk was handed the largest decrease. Albany will see a reduction of slightly more than $36,000, a 1.56 percent change. Argyle received notice of a 4.82 percent change, a reduction of almost $100,000. Juda will see a 2.33 percent reduction, a decrease of about $40,000, and New Glarus received notice of a 1.32 percent decrease, or about $71,000 less in aid.
Monroe had the smallest decrease at 0.04 percent less than the 2016-17 school year. District Business Administrator Ron Olson said the reduction will have a limited effect on the district.
"It's not a huge impact to the district as in a sense that it's close to the same amount we had last year," Olson said. "It's in line with what we had been projecting in our budget."
The district received notice that aid will total $16.24 million, about $7,000 less than the 2016-17 school year.
Darlington fared the best of area public school districts with a bump of 6.27 percent, or slightly more than $340,000. In the 2016-17 school year, the district received $5.4 million in state aid. This year, it was notified aid will increase to just under $5.8 million. Pecatonica Area School District received notice of a 4.44 percent increase, or almost $118,000, for a total of $2.77 million. Brodhead saw less of an increase, bumped 1.22 percent by about $82,000 to just under $6.8 million. Monticello received the smallest bump at 0.87 percent, an increase of roughly $19,000 to just over $2.2 million.
Olson said Monroe has been "doing pretty well" in its second year of a three-year referendum, allowing for the district to operate without having to make significant cuts. He echoed Chambers' assertion that a decline in state aid "leaves potential for taxes to go up." Olson said aid has "been a little up and down," noting that it has seen a $2 million decline since its high point in 2008-09, but up roughly $800,000 from its low point in the 2012-13 school year.
In total, $4.584 billion in aid was appropriated for the year, DPI Communications Director Tom McCarthy wrote. Of the state's 422 public districts, 230 will see a dip in aid. Some districts have seen less than a 1 percent decrease, while others - like the School District of Black Hawk - have been dealt a larger cut.
Though there will be fewer funds from the state, Black Hawk Superintendent Willy Chambers said the district will see little impact. However, taxpayers supporting the school might feel the change.
"If state aid goes down, taxes go up," Chambers said. "As long as revenues stay relatively the same."
Influences on the state aid formula include the number of full-time equivalent students enrolled, property value and certain eligible expenditures of the district, such as operating expenses or debt costs.
Chambers said during the 2015-16 school year, the district had 389 students enrolled and received $2.3 million in state aid. That year, spending by the district was also down while aid increased. In the 2016-17 school year, the district had 411 students and received $2.5 million. This year, district aid was outlined as $2.3 million, a difference of roughly $190,000, or a 7.55 percent decrease.
"It does affect the district, but really what it does is affect the tax base," Chambers said.
The aid formula includes a "hold harmless provision," the DPI release explained, which limits reductions to 15 percent of the previous year's aid. Fifty-five school districts were eligible for the provision.
Part of the reductions also accommodated Wisconsin charter schools.
"Nearly all districts will have 1.4 percent of their aid deducted, an estimated $65.9 million, to pay for the 7,850 (full-time equivalent) pupils enrolled in 23 independent charter schools," McCarthy wrote in the release.
Albany, Argyle, Juda, Monroe and New Glarus school districts were also notified of a dip in their aid allocations, though Black Hawk was handed the largest decrease. Albany will see a reduction of slightly more than $36,000, a 1.56 percent change. Argyle received notice of a 4.82 percent change, a reduction of almost $100,000. Juda will see a 2.33 percent reduction, a decrease of about $40,000, and New Glarus received notice of a 1.32 percent decrease, or about $71,000 less in aid.
Monroe had the smallest decrease at 0.04 percent less than the 2016-17 school year. District Business Administrator Ron Olson said the reduction will have a limited effect on the district.
"It's not a huge impact to the district as in a sense that it's close to the same amount we had last year," Olson said. "It's in line with what we had been projecting in our budget."
The district received notice that aid will total $16.24 million, about $7,000 less than the 2016-17 school year.
Darlington fared the best of area public school districts with a bump of 6.27 percent, or slightly more than $340,000. In the 2016-17 school year, the district received $5.4 million in state aid. This year, it was notified aid will increase to just under $5.8 million. Pecatonica Area School District received notice of a 4.44 percent increase, or almost $118,000, for a total of $2.77 million. Brodhead saw less of an increase, bumped 1.22 percent by about $82,000 to just under $6.8 million. Monticello received the smallest bump at 0.87 percent, an increase of roughly $19,000 to just over $2.2 million.
Olson said Monroe has been "doing pretty well" in its second year of a three-year referendum, allowing for the district to operate without having to make significant cuts. He echoed Chambers' assertion that a decline in state aid "leaves potential for taxes to go up." Olson said aid has "been a little up and down," noting that it has seen a $2 million decline since its high point in 2008-09, but up roughly $800,000 from its low point in the 2012-13 school year.