MINOCQUA, WI (WXPR) — Lakeland Union High School in Minocqua will receive the largest check in the region — just under $200,000 — as the Department of Public Instruction announced the dollar figures going to rural school districts for what is known as sparcity aid.
For the next school year, 141 districts qualified for sparsity aid based on enrollments of 745 or fewer students and membership of less than 10 pupils per square mile of the district’s geographic area.
DPI spokesperson Tom McCarthy says it’s designed to help districts alleviate budget pressures that come when you don’t have economies of scale in either the classroom or transportation.
“Small, rural districts have unique financial pressures put on them by the fact they don’t have as many students. They’re often in areas with less population and less economic flexibility.”
Lac du Flambeau was next on the list in the region at $155,000, Three Lakes picked up $139,000 with money going to several other districts.
Sparsity aid is computed on prior year enrollment and paid at $300 per member. Statewide, the eligible school districts had pupil membership of 60,702, which is about 7 percent of Wisconsin’s total public school membership last year.
The money will be sent out in September.
Reporting by Ken Krall, WXPR.