Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Scott Williams Custodian Joe Black prepares a hallway for repainting Tuesday at Shawano Community Middle School as preparations for the new school year move forward.
Leader Photo by Scott Williams With the new school year approaching, teacher Dori Logerquist unpacks and organizes supplies Tuesday in her classroom at Shawano Community Middle School.
Shawano school officials have trimmed staff and reined in health care costs to formulate a $26 million budget proposal that minimizes property tax increases for the 2015-16 school year.
Officials hope that rising property values will allow them to nearly hold the line on property taxes while increasing collections overall about $140,000, up to $13.1 million.
The budget of $26.7 million, down slightly from the previous school year, includes a 2-percent pay raise for all employees and $500,000 for improvements to Shawano Community Middle School.
Louise Fischer, the district’s business manager, said that if property values increase as anticipated district-wide, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $1,035 in taxes next year, up from $1,034. The state has reported that while property values in Shawano are expected to remain flat, adjoining towns could see increases of between 1 percent and 6 percent.
Fischer said the district could raise its tax rate higher and collect more under state law, but officials are trying to meet the school system’s needs without unduly burdening taxpayers.
“We are fine with where our levy is at,” she said Tuesday during a public forum on the district’s budget. “Our district is really in a healthy financial position.”
Nobody from the general public attended the forum.
The district plans to hold two more forums, on Aug. 24 and Sept. 9, before the school board is scheduled Oct. 26 to vote on the budget for the 2015-16 school year.
The school district is anticipating student enrollment next year at a level comparable to last year’s 2,426 students.
School Superintendent Gary Cumberland said officials are proposing to avoid higher property tax increases by eliminating a school psychologist and other staff positions, and to hold down employee health care cost increases.
Cumberland said the district is aiming not to tax property owners at the highest possible level, but rather to meet the district’s needs while operating efficiently.
“We don’t want to overtax anybody,” he said.
If property values rise, the district’s current tax rate of $10.34 per $1,000 of equalized value would increase to $10.35 or possibly even go down.
Fischer said the district is proposing to collect $185,000 below the maximum allowed by state law in property taxes. If the district wanted to tax the maximum, the tax rate would go up another 15 cents.
The proposed budget includes $500,000 for Shawano Community Middle School improvements in addition to another $9.25 million that voters are being asked to approve in a Nov. 3 referendum. The referendum would allow the district to borrow money to replace the school’s heating and air-conditioning system, renovate classrooms and other facilities, and make other improvements.
If approved, the middle school referendum would add another $35 a year to the property tax bill for a $100,000 home.
School Board member Michael Sleeper said he expects the board to approve the new budget proposal, and he has heard positive feedback from residents about the referendum. People seem to understand, he said, that the middle school needs some upgrades.
“People say yes, it’s clear and it’s obvious that it needs to be done,” he said.