Taxpayers Likely to See Drop In School District Levy

Thanks to an increase in state aid, the Oak Creek-Franklin School District is projecting a slight decrease in the property tax levy. 

The tax levy would drop 0.4 percent under the proposed 2013-14 budget, which the School Board will finalize in October. The tax rate would be $9.40 per $1,000 of equalized property value, a 4-cent decrease from last year. 

The drop is in large part because Oak Creek-Franklin is in the minority of Wisconsin schools getting more state aid than it did last year, Business Services Director Cathy Cramer said.

The school district will get about $2.1 million more than in 2012-13—an 8.2 percent jump, according to state Department of Public Instruction estimates.

Why is Oak Creek-Franklin's state aid going up while most other districts are facing decreases? Property values in the Oak Creek-Franklin School District have not increased, while at the same time, school enrollment has grown. That gave the district a low property value-per pupil, Cramer said, which put it in a good position in the state aid formula.

It also helps explain why the levy will drop despite a 2.3 percent increase in spending on operations. 

School district residents can weigh in on the budget and cast an advisory vote at the annual meeting at 7 p.m. Aug. 26 at East Middle School, 9330 S. Shepard Ave.

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