Elk Mound school board will give back $600,000 of referendum money by reducing debt service tax levy

By LeAnn R. Ralph

ELK MOUND  — The Elk Mound Board of Education has agreed to return to the taxpayers $600,000 left over from the referendum projects by applying the money to the debt service property tax levy for two years. 

The Elk Mound school board chose the option of reducing the debt service levy as a way to return the money to the residents of the district at the October 23 meeting.

The $15 million referendum was approved in April of 2020, and after the last of the projects were finished this summer, it was determined the referendum projects had come in under budget. 

At the September Board of Education meeting, Brian Brewer of Baird Financial outlined two options: invest the money for 18 years and use the interest earned to put toward paying down the debt or apply the money directly to the debt service levy.

The money will be applied to the debt service levy for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years, said Eric Wright, district administrator.

The school district has three years from the date the money was borrowed to spend all of the money, he said.

The debt service levy for this year’s budget is $815,000. 

The referendum projects included updating the woodworking and metal shops at Elk Mound High School; building a new high school band room; building a new Elk Mound Middle School gymnasium; remodeling the old middle school gymnasium into classrooms; updating the high school locker rooms; expanding the high school weight room; improvements to the swimming pool; and athletic field improvements. 

Tax levy

The Board of Education also approved a total property tax levy of $3,090,949 for the 2023-2024 school year at the October 23 meeting.

The levy is $8,000 less this year than last year, Wright said. 

The levy of $2,2750949, combined with the debt service levy of $815,000, results in a total levy of $3,090,949.

Property value increased in the school district from $487 million last year to $581 million this year, Wright said, noting that the increase was not because of new construction, but because the value of real estate has increased.

The mill rate will be $5.32 per $1,000 of property value. The mill rate last year was $6.36 per $1,000 of property value, he said.

Readers should note that when the equalized value increases, the mill rate decreases, and that the amount of school property taxes owed on an individual property will depend on the increase in property value. 

Other business

In other business, the Elk Mound Board of Education:

• Learned that the Mound View Elementary Turkey Trot will be held November 17.

• Learned that the Elk Mound Veterans Day program will be held on November 10 at 2:15 p.m. in the Elk Mound High School gymnasium. Area veterans are invited to the program.

• Learned that a Red Cross blood drive will be held at the Elk 

• Mound High School gymnasium on November 15. The blood drive is being organized by the Elk Mound FFA.

• Accepted the resignations of McKayla Maenner as head softball coach and Ryan Deroeck as the assistant track coach.

• Approved a request for retirement from Linda Sell as the Elk Mound Middle School secretary.

• Declined to allow dual sport participation. Students in the Elk Mound school district will be able to compete in one sport in the fall, one sport in the winter and one sport in the spring.

• Received a report on the referendum closeout from Luke Schultz of CESA 10. Money is being held back as retainage from several companies until certain items have been completed satisfactorily. 

• Learned that since the Third Friday in September count that five students have left the school district and 13 have enrolled. Students are coming and going in the district constantly, Wright said, noting that around Christmas time students also tend to move into and out of the school district.

• Received additional information from Dean Dutzle, a community member who is raising money for turf to install at the Elk Mound football field. The turf would benefit softball and baseball, too, because it would allow students to play outside earlier in the spring, and it would benefit physical education classes as well, Wright said. Dutzle will bring additional information about the fund raising and the project to another board meeting, he said.

Following a closed session, the Elk Mound Board of Education:

• Approved hiring Tanya Marko as a part-time food service worker.

• Approved hiring Hunter Gagner as the assistant powerlifting coach.

• Approved hiring Shelby Allen as a regular bus route driver.

• Took no action on hiring paraprofessionals.

The Elk Mound Board of Education meets next on November 27.

A meeting of the short-range planning committee is scheduled for December 4.