A Conversation About School Funding

Dear Editor,

Recently, someone asked the following question:

If the state provides more funding to schools, would the Dodgeville School District lower what it levies locally?

Over the past two years, our District has worked to be clear about this: the levy we bring forward should reflect what our taxpayers have approved and what is necessary to responsibly operate our schools.

Each year, Wisconsin districts hold an Annual Meeting where community electors have the authority to reduce the levy approved by the School Board. That's an important local check in the process.

If the legislature were to take action that increases the district's overall financial resources and if the operational referendum passes in April, the district would evaluate its financial position.  At that point, the Board may consider all options, including whether to recommend a lower levy at the Annual Meeting.

It's also helpful to understand that not all state funding changes affect schools in the same way.

Sometimes, additional state aid simply shifts the balance between state funding and local property taxes without increasing what a district can spend overall. Other times, new funding may expand what schools are able to invest in students and programming.

And in some cases, the state may choose to provide tax relief through credits. Those credits go directly back to property owners and do not increase funding available to schools.

We'll be talking more about these possibilities at our Finance Committee meeting on March 11.

Our goal is to keep the community informed so decisions around school funding are better understood by everyone they impact.

Ryan Bohnsack

District Administrator

Dodgeville School District