Waupun Superintendent Testifies On Behalf Of Assembly Bill

Waupun Area Schools Superintendent Tonya Olson recently testified on behalf of an Assembly bill that would raise the revenue ceiling for smaller school districts. That would set the ceiling at a minimum of $9,400 per student and would allow districts to increase that by $100 per student per year for five years. Olson notes in Waupun they currently levy just under $9,300 while districts like Oakfield, Mayville, Markesan and Randolph each levy more than $10,000 per student. She says that’s why the Waupun School District has struggled to balance their budgets over the years. She says, “If you followed Waupun’s history since about 2000 you know we’ve struggled with making our budget. They’ve closed down schools and laid off staff.” If the bill is successful the Waupun School District would get about $200,000 more for next year and an extra $200,000 each of the four years after that. She says, “So that by the fifth year when this bill maxes out in 2022-2023 it would give us about an extra $1 million in our budget.” Olson points out it would take a couple of years to balance their budget, but they would eventually be able to get better insurance, give staff raises and reduce class sizes. She estimates the bill would add about $25 a year to homeowners’ property taxes.