School board approves district budget

STEVENS POINT—The Stevens Point Area Public School District School Board approved the 2026–27 operating budget and set the local property tax levy. Beginning this school year, property owners will see the school tax rate decrease from $6.94 to $6.76 per $1,000 of equalized property value.

The School Board approved the 2026–27 district budget at a special meeting on Monday, Oct. 26. In the same meeting, the board set the local school property tax levy.

The approved budget lists total expenditures across all funds at $156,645,410, with total revenues projected at $154,655,635.

Property owners will see an 18-cent drop in their school mill rate. The rate fell from $6.94 to $6.76 per $1,000 of equalized value.

The decrease comes as the district’s equalized property value grew by 6.46% to just under $7.7 billion. In addition, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction certified $56,475,249 in state general equalization aid for the district, an increase of $879,612, or 1.58%, over the previous year.

Meanwhile, reports indicate student enrollment continued to decrease. The district’s three-year rolling average fell by 92 full-time students to 6,947.

During the year, the district spent approximately $2.5 million on capital work, which included public address systems and an emergency roof replacement at Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH). 

“The SPASH roof that we did this summer, that wasn't planned to be done this year,” Kurtz said. “We decided we needed to do it because it was leaking really bad.”

Kurtz noted that the money to pay for the work came directly out of Fund 46’s reserve balance, which began the year at nearly $4.8 million. He compared using the fund balance to a household savings account. 

“It’s kind of like a savings account,” Kurtz said. “If you had a personal one, that when you use it, you either have to try to rebuild it or you’ll use it up, and we don’t want to use it up... If you had $10,000 in your bank account, and you get a paycheck at work for $2,000, that gives you $12,000. You could spend more than $2,000 and still have the money to do it.”

Board members also reviewed how property taxes are affected by the district's $14 million voter-approved recurring referendum and state revenue limit adjustments.

Kurtz pointed out that the district qualified for higher state equalization aid because of the referendum and the state funding formula.

“Only 32% of school districts got an increase in state aid, and the reason why we did was because of our referendum,” Kurtz said. “It didn't all fall on the taxpayers.”

Kurtz added that ongoing enrollment declines will gradually reduce revenue caps in future years.

“Our enrollment’s going down,” Kurtz said. “That actually chips away at that $14 million referendum because it’s based on the number of kids you had when you set it.”

The board approved the 2026–27 budget in a 7–1 vote, Lepak cast the lone opposing vote. Board Treasurer Jennifer Bushman was excused. In the same meeting, the board voted to approve the local tax levy of $51,894,135.