Elk Mound school board approves $2.85 million levy for 2015-2016

By LeAnn R. Ralph

ELK MOUND  —  The Elk Mound Board of Education has approved a $2.85 million total property tax levy for the 2015-2016 school year with a corresponding mill rate of $9.24 per $1,000 of property value.

The Board of Education approved the general fund property tax levy of $1,970,567 and the referendum-approved debt service tax levy of $875,937 at the October 26 meeting.

According to information provided to the school board, the mill rate of $9.24 for 2015-2016 compares to a mill rate of $9.28 for 2014-2015.

The mill rate of $9.24 is the second lowest mill rate over the last nine years. The lowest mill rate in the past nine years was $8.79 in 2007-2008.

In 2009-2010, the mill rate was $9.25 per $1,000 of property value.

The highest mill rate in the last nine years was $10.03 per $1,000 of property value in 2012-2013.

The total levy of $2.85 million represents an increase of a little over $72,000 (a 2.6 percent increase) from the 2014-2015 levy of $2.77 million.

The largest total tax levy in the last nine years was $2.89 million in 2012-2013. The smallest total tax levy in the last nine years was $2.64 million in 2008-2009.

As for open enrollment, the Elk Mound school district has a net gain of 100 students, an increase from 72 students previously, with 161 open enrolling in and 61 open enrolling out of the district. The previous number of students enrolling in was 130.

The increase in revenue for the increased open enrollment will amount to about $180,000.

Equalized value in the school district increased by about 3 percent. Last year’s equalized value was just shy of $299 million. This year’s equalized value is $308.07 million.

The Village of Elk Mound has 11 percent of the district’s equalized value, while the Town of Elk Mound has 35 percent of the school district’s equalized value.

The Town of Spring Brook has 29 percent of the district’s equalized value, while the Town of Wheaton has almost 20 percent of the equalized value.

The Towns of Howard, Colfax, and Red Cedar have less than 1 percent of the equalized value, while the Town of Union contains 3.6 percent of the equalized value.

Other business

In other business, the Elk Mound Board of Education:

• Learned that the Mound View Elementary PTO will be sponsoring a Barn Dance on November 13.

• Learned that a Veterans Day program will be held at Elk Mound Middle School at 10:50 a.m. November 11 and at Elk Mound High School at 2:30 p.m.

• Approved a ten-year lease agreement with the Village of Elk Mound for use of the baseball field at the Lions Club Park.

• Accepted the resignation of Annie Kongshaug as the golf coach.

• Accepted the resignation of Brandon Powell at the assistant girls’ softball coach.

• Scheduled a long-range planning meeting November 12 at 4 p.m.

Following a closed session, the Elk Mound Board of Education approved hiring Powell as the golf coach.

The Elk Mound Board of Education’s next regular monthly meeting is November 16.