PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
(WTAQ-WLUK) — Property tax levies for K-12 schools rose by more than $327 million in December, according to preliminary data from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
That’s a 5.7% increase over last December — and the highest increase since 2009.
“When the state raises those per pupil revenue limits, and either doesn’t raise the amount of state aids, or raises it, but not by an amount to mathematically meet or lower property taxes, then property taxes are going to increase,” said Ari Brown, a senior research associate with the Wisconsin Policy Forum.
Aside from per-pupil spending, another factor is school district referenda.
Of the 50 largest districts by levy total who have recently passed a referendum, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, Kaukauna Area School District ranks as the third highest increase at more than 21%. Last month, voters approved a nearly $200 million facilities referendum.
Superintendent Mike Slowinski says while the referendum contributed to the increase in property taxes, another reason was rising property value.
“Certainly, one of the biggest issues was that we have a 100-year-old middle school in our community that really is not meeting the learning and teaching needs for modern schools,” said Slowinski.
While not included in the policy forum’s report, De Pere Unified School District had two referendums pass this year. The most recent was a $22 million capital referendum to address district building maintenance, which passed in November. The tax rate for the 2024-25 fiscal year is $6.85 per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value, up from last year’s $5.67.
A record-number of referenda passed statewide this year, with 169 ballot items approved. Researchers say it’s tough to say if we’ll see similar numbers in future years.
“I think districts are getting smarter about when to go to referendum and how much to ask for,” said Brown. “I think a lot is going to be dictated by state budget negotiations over the next few budget cycles,” he added.
The Howard-Suamico School District saw a property tax increase of more than 5%. District officials say that’s due to an increase in property values in both villages.
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