Estimated school budget is proposed at annual meeting

Superintendent Garrett Rogowski updated district residents and the school board about upcoming budget numbers at the district’s Aug. 24 annual meeting.

The formal budget will not be approved until October after all the various resources are factored in. Property valuation and enrollment numbers will be provided in September, and numbers for general aid and computer aid will be finalized in October said Rogowski.

The school population is estimated to be 1,097 for the 2020-21 school year, which is down from the 1,123 total for last year. The actual total isn’t counted until the third Friday in September. Rogowski anticipates a higher number of students.
The school population is based on a three year rolling average so that one bad year doesn’t severely impact the school budget said Rogowski.

“Open enrollment is extremely volatile,” said Rogowski.

Rates per students can range between $8,000 per student to $13,000 for a student with special needs and can represent a lot of money going into or out of a school district noted Rogowski.

The district uses equalized values, which are calculated annually by the Department of Revenue and used to insure statewide fairness and equity in property tax distribution.

Equalized value represents an estimate of a taxation district’s total taxable value. This provides for the fair apportionment of school districts and county levy for each of the municipalities, explained Rogowski.

Changes in equalized value don’t necessarily translate to changes in property value, which is based on assessed value. They are two separate issues.

Rogowski pointed out that even with the referendum, the mill rate was less last year at $9.13 per $1,000 than what it was in 2015-16 when it was $9.27 per $1,000. Last year the state average was $9.34. The estimate for the mill rate for 2021 is estimated at $8.63 per $1,000 which would mean that someone who owns a home valued at $100,000 would pay $863 per year.

The budget for 2020-21 is $13,762,262.