Colfax school board approves tax levy of $3.12 million
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Colfax Board of Education has approved a total combined tax levy of $3,124,420 for the 2023-2024 school year.
The motion approved at the school board’s October 23 meeting included levying $3,563 for the non-referendum approved land purchase debt service; $10,690 for non-referendum approved unfunded liability; $11,938 for the non-referendum approved tennis court project for a total non-referendum debt service of $26,191.
The total property tax levy also includes $528,163 for referendum approved debt service, and a property tax levy of $2,570,066 to cover the difference between state education aid and the maximum revenue limit allowed by state law.
The non-referendum debt service, referendum debt service and the property tax levy to cover the difference between state aid and the revenue limit amounts to a total property tax levy of $3,124,420.
The total combined property tax levy for the 2022-2023 school year was $2,814,833.
This year’s tax levy represents an increase of $309,587.
The approved updated budget for the 2023-2024 school year includes total revenue of $10,631,870 and expenditures of $10,343,225.
The equalized value in the Colfax school district is $571,858,944, representing an increase over last year’s equalized value of $100,873,128.
Open enrollment
Colfax will have 69 students transferring into the school district under open enrollment, and 123 students transferring out of the district.
According to the report in the school board packet, 28 Colfax students transferred to Menomonie, and 12 Menomonie students transferred to Colfax.
A total of 16 students transferred to Prairie Farm and no Prairie Farm students transferred to Colfax.
A total of 28 Colfax students transferred to Elk Mound, and 13 Elk Mound students transferred to Colfax.
A total of four Colfax students transferred to Eau Claire, and one Eau Claire student transferred to Colfax.
A total of 16 Colfax students transferred to Bloomer, and 16 Bloomer students transferred to Colfax.
A total of two Colfax students transferred to Chetek-Weyerhaeuser and two Chetek-Weyerhaeuser students transferred to Colfax.
A total of 10 Colfax students transferred to Boyceville, and 15 Boyceville students transferred to Colfax.
A total of four Colfax students transferred to Chippewa Falls, and a total of 10 Chippewa Falls students transferred to Colfax.
Colfax had six students that transferred to Barron, three students that transferred to Medford, two students that transferred to New Auburn, two students that transferred to McFarland, and one student each that transferred to St. Croix Falls and St. Croix Central.
No students from the school districts included in the previous paragraph transferred to Colfax.
The end result of the transfers into the district and out of the district is that Colfax lost 54 students.
According to a survey conducted by the Colfax school district several years ago, the majority of the students transferring out of the district were because of convenience, either because the students live closer to the schools they are transferring into or because the route a parent takes to work makes it more convenient to drop the student off at the school to which they have transferred.
The Colfax school district receives $13,470 for each full-time equivalency special education student that transfers in and receives $8,618 for all other full-time equivalency students who transfer in.
The cost to the school district for full-time equivalency special education students who transfer out is $13,470, and the cost to the school district for all other full-time equivalency students who transfer out is $8,618.
Colfax will be receiving $601,667 for students that transferred into the school district for the 2023-2024 school year.
Colfax will pay $1,006,415 for students that transferred out of the school district for the 2023- 2024 school year.
The end result is that Colfax will pay nearly $405,000 for open enrollment out of the school district.
In other business, the Colfax Board of Education:
• Learned that Colfax High School student McKenna Shipman completed the CVTC Nursing Assistant program this past summer.
• Learned that middle school boys’ basketball practice began October 23.
• Learned that girls’ basketball practice begins November 6.
• Learned that girls’ gymnastics practice begins November 6.
• Learned that the Veterans Day program will be held, Friday, November 10, in the Colfax High School gymnasium beginning at 10 a.m.
• Learned that boys’ basketball practice begins November 13.
• Learned that wrestling practice begins November 13.
• Learned that holiday programs will be held December 7 — junior kindergarten at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., kindergarten at 10:30 p.m. (all three in the Colfax elementary gymnasium), grades 1 to 4 at 1:30 p.m. (high school gym) and grades 5 to 8 at 7 p.m. (high school gym).
• Approved Start College Now applications for spring of 2024.
• Approved a student activity account for Science Olympiad.
Following a closed session, the Colfax Board of Education approved the following winter athletic coaching positions:
• Middle school boys’ basketball – Matthew DeMoe and Lewis Mau.
• Middle school girls’ basketball – Kari Sedivy and Kirk Secraw.
• High school boys’ basketball – Mark Noll, head coach; Tristan Kittilson, junior varsity coach; Nicholas Heit, freshmen coach.
• High school girls’ basketball – Courtney Sarauer, head coach; Carly Kittilson, junior varsity coach.
• High school dance coach – Megan Cormican.
• High school gymnastics coach – to be determined if needed.
