This is a weekly column providing information on the $23 million referendum on the ballot for the April 2 election. Email your questions for Superintendent Jeff Koenig to answer to: john@thepaperboy.news

1. Having a bigger building to maintain comes with an increase in costs. How much more will it cost to maintain the school with that addition?

Up to this point in time it appears that Stanley-Boyd schools has not even come close to having to go to a referendum; just to keep operating. Many other districts around us have in the recent past. This article from WPR was insightful.

https://www.wpr.org/education/wisconsin-school-districts-turn-voters-referendums-increase-revenue-limits-fund-projects

2. Does the per student aid from the state of WI effect this if the population decreases?
3. Are we “maxing” out our credit with taxpayers?

Question 5 response

By: Jeff Koenig, Stanley-Boyd Area Schools District Administrator

1. The main increase in cost for our project would be the addition of one cleaner. We have been discussing adding a part-time position based on our current needs. If the referendum passes we need to increase that to full-time.
   A number of our proposed projects will decrease our energy consumption. Those savings and a solar upgrade we have scheduled to complete this summer should keep our utility costs in check. Combining our kitchens will greatly reduce our utility costs.
   In regards to your second paragraph, we are still not close to asking for an operational referendum. We continually look for ways to save money while keeping our spending in check. Like all school districts, things can change quickly if the state makes drastic changes.
   2. Per pupil aid has no impact on local taxes but is a different revenue source for the school budget. It is currently set at $742 per pupil. Like all of our enrollment numbers, it is based on a three-year average of our enrollment. Our current three-year average is 1,073. For example, If that number changes plus/minus 10 students it is a change of $7,420. Our enrollment is projected to remain steady for the next 10 years.
   3. This is a tricky question to answer. Most people do not enjoy paying taxes. Some would say any tax is too much tax. The problem with school taxes is they are not just dependent on our school. General State Aid, the fund from which our district normally receives about 62% of our revenue, is a set dollar amount.
   General State Aid is divided between all public schools in the state as well as private school vouchers. It does not make a lot of sense but when other school districts pass their referendums, we lose state aid and it increases our taxes. Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is aided at about the same level as we are. They are asking for a $252 million operational referendum this spring. If that passes, we will lose state aid. It will have a tax impact on our school district. MPS alone would impact our mill rate from $.14 to $.24 over the next four years. We lose state aid on any positively aided school district that passes a referendum. Private school vouchers had an impact on our local mill rate this year of $.47. That number is expected to increase as the state just expanded what private schools receive. It shows up on your tax bill as school tax but we have no control over those items.

My point with all of this is that our school district’s spending is not the only thing that impacts our local taxes. We continue to have some of the lowest taxes in the state. Other than this current year, our mill rate (tax rate) has continually gone down over the past 10 years. This year our taxes went up due to a change in the state revenue limit. Aid will follow next year, pushing our mill rate down. We fully expect it to go down next year even if our referendum passes. Keep in mind that many external factors outside of our district impact our mill rate.