Green Bay School District proposes budget with mill rate drop, 1.22% levy increase

The Green Bay Area Public School District has put forward a proposed budget that the district's chief financial officer, Angie Roble, describes as a balancing act between rising expenses and serving more than 17,000 students. The district expects its mill rate to fall from $7.41 to $7.07, even though the plan includes a 1.22% increase in the tax levy. Roble says that increase is well below the one in the prior budget, which she recalls as above 5%. The article notes that the effect on an individual's property taxes depends on the estimated fair market value of the home.

After several years of school consolidations, the district has cut staffing by more than 100 full-time positions, and Roble says overall salary spending is down 1.65%. She says the goal is to match staffing to declining enrollment. On special education, the state budget promises to cover 45% of costs this year, but last year's payment fell short of what was expected. The district anticipates a similar shortfall and built its plan around that assumption.

The district is also preparing a four-year operating referendum request for voters. Roble says that if voters reject it in November, the district would ask again in April, and that could mean more consolidations, layoffs or program cuts. Trustee Laura McCoy says the district has no choice but to return to voters so soon after a referendum two years ago. The school board votes on the budget proposal Oct. 26, and the community votes on the referendum Nov. 3.