School tax rate going down 2 cents; levy approved

District also votes to maintain board per diems, sell former town hall land in Wescott
By: 
Lee Pulaski
City Editor

Taxes are expected to remain flat as the Shawano School District approved the tax levy and took other actions during its annual meeting Sept. 27.

The property tax rate will go from $9.58, which has been the standard for several years, to $9.56 per $1,000 of equalized valuation. This means the owner of a $100,000 home can expect to pay $956 to the district this year. This is slightly above the state average of $9.22.

The district approved a levy of almost $14.7 million, with the overall budget expected to be just over $31.3 million — a drop of more than $800,000 from last year’s budget, according to Josh Swanson, the district’s finance director. He noted that the state’s budget has frozen its per pupil aid at $10,000, so school districts should not expect increases to help balance the budget.

The final 2021-22 school budget is expected to be approved by the Shawano School Board at the end of October. By then, the district will have finalized numbers on the official student enrollment, which is taken on the third Friday in September, and the equalized valuations for the school district, which are expected in mid-October.

Besides the tax levy, the district also signed off on selling the property in the Town of Wescott that, until a few years ago, served as a town hall and as a school decades before that. The land and building take up about 1.9 acres and sit on Lake Drive.

The property had previously been leased by the town when the building became the town hall. When a new facility was built on the west side of Wescott, it was used sparingly but maintained by the town. In 2019, the town returned the deed to the school district, which toyed with the idea of using it as an education facility like a charter school once again. Ultimately, school officials decided it was better just to sell the property.

The district also voted to keep the per diem of board members at $60 per meeting. According to school board member Diane Hoffman, the district has maintained the $60 rate for at least a decade.

Board member Mart Grams tried to amend the resolution to increase the per diem to $100 per meeting, but no one seconded his motion, killing the amendment on the spot.


lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com