At their regular July business meeting, the Lac du Flambeau Board of Education endorsed district superintendent Dr. Larry Ouimette’s recommendation that the Lac du Flambeau Public School?District adopt a Senior Tax Exchange Program (STEP).
STEP began in Colorado and was first implemented in Wisconsin at Kaukauna in 1995.
In board discussions, Ouimette noted that a STEP programs are in place “in a number of school districts in Wisconsin” including the Waupun Area School? District and the School District of Prescott, among others.
The goal of STEP is to increase the volunteerism by retired citizens in local schools. Qualifying retirees receive a small stipend to be used toward their property tax bill. The emphasis of STEP is to provide additional volunteer assistance in the schools and also foster increased interaction between students and retirees.
“It encourages retirees to volunteer in the schools...,”?Ouimette noted of STEP. “We’ve got a lot of people that are retirees in our community ... Over the ten years that I’ve been here, and even before that, we’ve had a great corps of retirees volunteering in our school. I think it (STEP) is a little way to say ‘thank you’ ... I would encourage the board to approve the STEP?Program.”
In approving the implementation of STEP in the Lac du Flambeau Public School?District, the Board of Education capped the maximum property tax credit at $500 annually.
