Marathon School Board approves final budget

By Hannah Alden

The Marathon School Board finalized the school district’s 2023-24 budget last week, with a lower mill rate than was anticipated.

Back in August during the district’s annual meeting, officials estimated the mill rate would be $9.40. After receiving some final data for the year, including state aid amounts and valuation numbers, the mill rate, which represents the amount of property tax on real estate, was finalized at $8.42 during the board’s October 30 meeting. This year’s rate is down slightly from $8.98 during the 2022-23 school year. The total school levy will be $4,830,869, which is a 3.49 percent increase from last year.

According to District Administrator Rick Parks, the district’s valuation increased by about 11 percent. So despite the lower mill rate, Parks said homeowner’s taxes will likely increase slightly.

The district’s final budget also included less of a gap between the year’s general fund expenditures and revenues. Originally, the August projections showed a $687,482 difference between the two, but that number has dwindled to $229,690. That difference between the expenditures, finalized at $11,765,362, and the revenues, $11,535,672, will come out of the district’s fund balance, which by year end will be at $3,100,491. Some of the reasons for the increased revenue into the district include more funding from open enrollment and additional grant monies. “We think this is a good budget for us,” Parks said. “It’s much tighter than we’ve had over the last few years.”

In other business during last week’s meeting, the board discussed the outdoor classroom project proposed to be installed near the elementary and middle school building. The initial rough estimate for the project currently stands at $450,000.

The structure would include a pergola with solar panels, which are one of the pricier components associated with the project. During a prior meeting, Parks had estimated the panels alone at $78,000 with another $45,000 required for installation. The reason the topic was brought up recently was the solar panel supplier was set to place an order and, due to a lengthy turn-around time, wanted to know if the district was set to move forward with the purchase.

Due to the energy-saving nature of the project, Parks said the district would see a 30 percent federal kickback on the total cost. There has been around $10,000 donated toward the project so far, with $40,000 of the district’s ESSER grant funds being set aside for it as well. Additionally, there has been talk of finding outside donors to help with the cost.

Board member Paula Vesely expressed concern with the outdoor classroom price tag, saying she could see the need for the facility but was wary of the cost. Parks agreed with the price discomfort, but said he felt confident in securing outside funding sources to help offset the cost to the district.

By the end of the discussion, board members agreed to allow Parks to get the solar panels needed on the supplier’s order, but only if the district could back out of taking them if officials decide to alter or postpone the project plans.

It’s expected that plans for the project will be brought to the board by December, with bidding to happen early next year and construction potentially in the spring.