Madison Reporter

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has certified the general school aid amounts for each school district in the state for the 2024–25 academic year. The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is set to receive $61.3 million, marking an increase of nearly 62% from the previous year and almost $10 million more than earlier estimates.

Despite this increase, MMSD officials emphasize that the need for an operations referendum remains unchanged. "The higher amount of state general aid serves to lower property taxes, but for us as a district, it does not translate to increased funds that we can direct to staff wages, curriculum and programming," stated Bob Soldner, MMSD’s assistant superintendent of financial services. He further clarified misconceptions by noting that while some may believe this aid offsets expenses and reduces the necessity for a referendum, this is not accurate.

In terms of impact on property taxes, MMSD had initially estimated that passing the operations referendum would result in a property tax impact of $26 per month. However, with the new aid figures, this estimate has been revised to $3.38 per month on average homes in Madison for this year. From 2027–2028 onwards, projections suggest a monthly tax impact of $87 annually, subject to changes based on actual state aid received.

The increased state aid cannot be used beyond reducing property taxes; it does not enhance district funding directly available for other uses such as staff raises or covering rising healthcare costs. Therefore, MMSD still sees the operations referendum as essential.

Enrollment growth also plays a role in determining state aid allocations. MMSD's enrollment rose by 125 full-time equivalent students over last year following an increase of 18 FTE students in 2023. This trend generally leads to more state support due to Wisconsin's funding structure.

"We’re encouraged by our enrollment figures bucking projected trends for the second year in a row," said Soldner regarding both enrollment increases and additional state support. However, he stressed that despite temporary relief from these factors, sustainable solutions require community backing through referenda.

Election Day is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5. Voter registration details are available at: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Register-To-Vote

For more information about MMSD’s operations and facilities referenda: https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/about/2024-referenda