PRESCOTT – The handful of residents who attended the Prescott School District Annual Meeting and budget hearing Wednes- day, Sept. 28 heard good news on the finance end and in successes at the …
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PRESCOTT – The handful of residents who attended the Prescott School District Annual Meeting and budget hearing Wednes- day, Sept. 28 heard good news on the finance end and in successes at the school district.
Voters – seven of them in total, not counting school board members – voted to accept the 2022-23 tax levy which will be ratified by the school board this month. Some final fund ing pieces will be in place when enrollment counts and state aid are finalized by that time. The school board meets the third Wednesday of each month in the Prescott High School library.
The total tax levy – the amount property owners pay to support the school budget – was presented at $9,784,802, virtually even from a year ago. The district general fund budget is projected at $17,296,768.
The budget puts $125,000 into the district’s capital improvement fund that now has about $1.5 million to be used for building modifications and classroom updates on top of the $15 million voters approved at referendum in April for infrastructure improvements, like building roofs, updating HVAC systems and electric and plumbing in the three older district buildings.
The school board held a work session last Monday night to consider plans to house the fourth and fifth grades in what is now the Prescott Middle School and have grades six-eighth in what is now the intermediate school. Also, the district is putting together long-range outdoor facilities plans that could someday move the track and football facility to land the district owns south of the high school.
The school district enrollment this year is estimated at 1,337 students, up a few from 1,334 last year but down from the 1,349 enrolled in 2020.
The projected tax rate to support the budget is $8.54 per $1,000 of property valuation, down from $10.23 a year ago. The school district share of taxes on a $250,000 home were projected at $2,135. If that home didn’t have an increase in assessed value, its school share of taxes would drop $422. City of Prescott ovcials plan a property value reassessment this year, so unless there were improvements on the property, the school share of taxes should drop. However, it was reported that neighboring townships did reassess property, which could lead to them picking up a bigger share of the school tax burden. If property went up 20 percent, however, that $250,000 home could be worth $300,000. Its school share of the tax bill would still be stable from the prior year, because of the overall valuation growth in the school district.
Superintendent Dr. Rick Spicuzza opened the meeting by talking about some of the good things going on at Prescott schools.
"We have been identified as being in the top 15 percent of all school districts in the state of Wisconsin,” he said.
He also said the high school has strong test scores historically, and the results of state testing that will be introduced at an upcoming board meeting will be more good news.
The high school has increased its number of Advanced Placement courses, so students have the opportunity to earn college credit.
“Our goal has been that all students continue to achieve at a high level,” he said. “Our goal is to make sure we continue to be the best at getting better every year.”
Spicuzza continued his plea to district residents to get the state to do a better job of funding schools. He pointed out that federal pandemic funding was critical to this year’s budget, while the state is sitting on a $7 billion surplus.
“The federal funds are ending,” he said. “We think it’s important for the state legislature to step up.”
A resident asked why the district doesn’t fund more for capital projects/maintenance, rather than going to referendum as it did in the fall.
“It puts you in a bad spot. You have to go back to the community and get,” said Jim Wazlawik.
Spicuzza said a majority of the budget goes to salaries, which would mean that additional money allocated to the capital fund would come out of personnel.
"I wouldn't have stau and class sizes would be double,” he said. “If we were to put in more than $125,000, it would have to come out of classrooms, out of people.”
Residents at the meeting also set the school board salaries at $2,200 per board member and $2,500 for the school board president. Salaries for all board members were $2,000 last year.