Hamilton Enrollment Expected Not to Increase As $340K Deficit Looms For District

For the first in 20 years Hamilton School District is not expecting a student enrollment increase, however, the school is facing a $340,000 budget deficit.

Business Services Assistant Superintendent Bryan Ruud presented a $49.75 million draft budget for 2013-14 at the April 9 School Board meeting, according to Board Meeting Highlights posted online.

Budget Deficit

Gov. Scott Walker’s two-year budget is proposing no revenue limit increase for school districts. Under Walker’s proposed budget, the district would need to reduce $339,750 from the budget.

Two Republican legislators are proposing a $150 per student increase. Under this proposal, the district will have $339,750 to restore some cuts and cover contingency issues.

Walker’s proposed $68 billion budget would combine tax cuts with increased spending on transportation infrastructure and private education.

Walker said he would offset the tax cuts and spending increases by shifting some funds away from public schools and healthcare, freezing local government aid and selling some assets, reported Reuters. 

Student Enrollment and Property Taxes

While Marcy Elementary School enrollment continues to grow, enrollment in other Hamilton schools is not expected to increase, according to Ruud.

The Board Meeting Highlights say, “Subdivisions that were built about 20 years ago are not turning over bringing in new students to the district that would be expected in a better economy.”

Additionally, property value in the district should remain at current levels.

The budget draft indicates that property owners might see a two cent increase in the mill rate from $10.40 to $10.42 per $1,000 of property value. The impact for local taxpayers would be a $2 increase for each $100,000 of property owned.

The School Board will vote in May on the final budget that will be presented at the Annual Meeting in June.