Colfax school district expecting increase in state equalization aid
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by LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — If the proposed increases for education in the state budget become a reality, the Colfax school district would see an increase in state aid of $1,000 per pupil.
School districts asked for a $1,500 increase per pupil, said William C. Yingst Jr., district administrator, at the Colfax Board of Education’s June 19 meeting.
State equalization aid was stagnant for a number of years, he noted.
There also is a proposal for a $325 per pupil increase, Yingst said.
State aid is calculated using a complicated formula. Equalization aid is based on primary aid “per member” (student), secondary aid per member and tertiary aid per member. Then there is a separate “per pupil aid” calculated on the current three-year average membership that was set at $742 per student for the 2022-2023 school year.
Revenue limits for school districts were put into place by the state Legislature in 1993, which means there is a limit on the amount of money the school district can raise through the property tax levy to make up the difference between state aid and the actual cost of operating the school district.
Municipalities also operate under property tax levy limits.
School districts that were fiscally conservative were penalized by the 1993 revenue limits, while school districts that were spending more money were not penalized as much, Yingst said.
The result is that while school districts like Colfax were required to remain at a lower revenue limit because they did not spend as much in the years before the revenue limit went into effect, other school districts that had spent more money started out with a higher revenue limit, he said.
Municipalities in Wisconsin experienced the same fate. Those municipalities that had a low property tax levy because they were fiscally conservative and, perhaps, did not spend as much money fixing their roads or did not buy new equipment for road maintenance or build new facilities, were required to remain at that low rate while other municipalities that had spent money on their roads and equipment and on building new facilities were allowed the higher property tax levy.
Because of the 1993 revenue limits, school districts “got stuck” on the revenue limit if they had spent less, Yingst said.
This is better news than the last couple of budget cycles, he said.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Wisconsin spends 5.6 percent below the national average on education per pupil.
The Colfax school district has about 700 students, so a $1,000 increase would mean an increase in state aid of about $700,000.
To make a comparison, the Colfax school district ends up paying about $775,000 “out of pocket” for the difference between the special education aid received and the cost of providing the programming for special education students.
Fund 46
In other business, the Board of Education approved an updated long-term investment plan for Fund 46.
The fund was started June 15, 2015, and according to state law, money could be spent out of the fund five years after it was created.
The fund allows money that is left over from the previous school year’s budget to be placed into the fund for capital improvements instead of going into the school district’s general fund.
As long as an item is on the approved capital improvements list, money from Fund 46 can go to those improvements, Yingst said.
Items on the list for 2023-2024 include $60,000 for repaving the elementary/high school bus area; $200,000 for roof replacement; $136,000 for an LP bus; $80,000 for carpeting and/or ceiling tile or maintenance at the elementary school, middle school and high school; and $50,000 for technology upgrades.
Colfax had gotten off the schedule for replacing buses, so for the 2013 energy efficiency project, the school district purchased three LP buses, Yingst said.
The school district purchased another six LP buses as part of the 2016 referendum question, and then has been buying one every year to replace the fleet, he said.
The LP buses burn cleaner, are quieter and LP is cheaper than diesel fuel or gasoline, Yingst said.
In five or six years, all of Colfax’s buses will be LP, he said.
Jaci Ackerlund, school board member, asked what happens to the old buses.
Sometimes the old buses are in such bad shape they end up sold for scrap, in other cases, people might buy them to convert into a camper, and then the school district might get $2,000 for an old bus, Yingst said.
The school district also has donated old buses for training purposes for firefighters and EMS so they can have practice in how to cut them apart, he said.
Other business
In other business, the Colfax Board of Education:
• Received a reminder that the school district annual meeting is scheduled for August 21 at 5 p.m. with the regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m.
• Scheduled the audit review for 5 p.m. July 10 and budget review for 5:30 p.m.
• Authorized Yingst to do a budget adjustment if necessary by the end of the school year on June 30.
• Approved membership in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) pending information from Michael Hodel, athletic director, regarding girls’ wrestling.
• Learned that the Colfax school district will be offering 38 credits that can be put toward a two-year or four-year college degrees for the 2023-2024 school year: horticulture, medical terminology, MS office, marketing, computer aided drafting, accounting, psychology, early childhood education, calculus, AP biology, economics, speech, sign language I and II, statistics, and sociology.
• Learned that for the Accelerated Reader program for the 2022-2023 school year, 353 participating students at Colfax Elementary had read a total of 102,897,231 words and that there were 21 students who read over 1 million words, four students who read over 2 million words, two students who read over 3 million words, two students who read over 4 million words, and one student who read over 5 million words.
• Learned that for the myON reading program, 353 students at Colfax Elementary had participated and had read 5,063 books and spent 1,629 hours in the reading program. myOn gives students an opportunity to read fiction or non-fiction books online.
• Learned that the Colfax Elementary spring concert is available online at www.colfax.k12.wi.us.
• Learned that 195 students are enrolled in the summer swimming program.
• Learned that 94 students have signed up for Summer Saunters on the Ice Age Trail. This is the most students who have ever signed up for the program.
• Learned that part of the new teachers orientation was held June 14. Five new teachers and two long-term substitute teachers were invited to attend a brief orientation with Yingst, the building principals, Director of Pupil Services, other school staff and six assigned mentors. Orientation topics included handbook items, technology set up, and classroom set-up with keys. A lunch was provided, and new staff had time to get to know their mentors. Part two of the orientation will be held on August 14.
Following a closed session, the Colfax Board of Education:
• Accepted the resignation of Annie Hughes, high school special education teacher.
• Accepted the resignation of Kathleen Thorn, business education teacher.
• Accepted the resignation of Allison Mulroy, special education early childhood teacher.
• Approved hiring Viktorya Luebstorf, high school special education teacher.
