Electors at the Lakeland Union High School District’s annual meeting Monday, Oct. 26 will be asked to approve an overall levy of $11.8 million, which is an increase of nearly 5 percent over the prior year.
The budget hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the school’s distance learning room. The district’s annual meeting immediately follows.
The district plans to spend $17,884,411 to support the 2020-21 budget, an increase of 1.78 percent over the prior year. The proposed levy itself is an increase of 4.84 percent, according to business manager Greg Kopp.
Where the money is allocated
Of the proposed $11,852,987 levy, $991,632 would go for the non-referendum debt service fund. There’s also $188,892 allocated for community service fund, largely for public use of the indoor pool. The latter line item has remained steady the past three years. The rest will support the general fund.
According to Kopp’s projections, the district will receive about $1.5 million in state aid, along with just under $1 million in federal aid. (Each up about $120,000 over the prior year.) Because LUHS is a “property rich” district, it doesn’t receive as much state aid as those districts lacking high value lakefront property found in the Northwoods.
Like other public school districts, LUHS cannot exceed state levy limits. A district's revenue limit is the maximum amount of revenue that may be raised through state general aid and property tax for the general, non-referendum debt, and capital expansion funds. The number of enrolled students also helps determine revenue limits.
The tax bill
Based on last year’s district valuation, Kopp is estimating the tax rate will be $1.91 per $1,000 of equalized valuation. The current budget required a levy of $1.82 per $1,000 equalized valuation.
The tax rate is determined by dividing the total school levy by the district’s equalized property value, times $1,000. The final figure of the levy amount and tax rate will depend on the state’s determination of equalized property value, which will be released sometime after the annual meeting.
Kopp said the state’s figures may change the overall levy number a bit, but won’t change the tax rate (also known as the mil rate if shown as a decimal figure).
The district’s reserve fund, commonly called “fund balance,” dipped just below the $7 million mark. The reserve fund covers operating expenses, such as salaries and retirement contributions, until the school receives local tax payments and governmental aid. That avoids short-term borrowing, which saves money for taxpayers.
In addition to LUHS taxing jurisdiction, real estate property is taxed to support your local elementary school and Nicolet College, as well as town, county and state governments, and in some cases, sanitary districts.
Who can vote?
Any district resident 18 years and older may vote at the annual meeting. In recent years, however, the annual meetings have drawn few, if any, members of the general public. It’s fallen to school board members and a handful of school staff to adopt the tax levy. A light turnout can also be interpreted as the public’s satisfaction with district operations and board decisions.
Electors at the annual meeting do not have the power to amend the budget, nor to approve or disapprove it. The school board has until Nov. 1 to modify the budget, as needed.
At these meetings, electors also set the salaries of board members, and if requested, vote on any acquisition or sale of property and designate sites for buildings.
