Edgar School District sees levy and mil rate decrease
The Edgar School District’s tax levy and mil rate will be decreasing after approval during the district’s annual meeting last month.
Electors and officials at the annual meeting on June 28 approved the adoption of the tax levy for the 2023-24 school year, currently marked to be $2,158,942, a decrease of almost 11 percent from this past year. Along with that, the mil rate is estimated to drop to $7.65, down from $8.73. According to the district’s tax levy history, the mil rate has decreased each year since the 2017-18 school year when it was $11.50.
District Bookkeeper Morgan Mueller and District Administrator Cari Guden presented the proposed budget during the budget hearing held before the annual meeting. While numbers may still fluctuate before the district receives final aid amounts from the state and valuation totals, currently the district has projected a balanced budget, with $9,791,189 coming in as revenues and the same number going out as expenses. The final budget adoption will occur in October.
Edgar’s enrollment is projected to drop slightly going into this coming school year, with an estimated 594 students, down from 610 last year. Projections show a significantly smaller 4K class this year, with only 20 students compared to the last four years with 40, 47, 35 and 38 pupils. As for open enrollment numbers, the district expects to see 74 students coming into the Edgar schools, with 61 opting to go to other districts.
In other business:
During its regular meeting on June 28, the school board voted to hire Michael Wilhelm as its new middle/ high school principal. According to Guden, officials are looking at July 17 for Wilhelm’s contract start date.
Board members heard several end-of-year reports from staff including Lara Beranek, school nurse, and Linda Hamann, the library media center director. Beranek reported that strep throat numbers were up during the 2022-23 school year and mentioned that office visit numbers were higher than what she saw at the Marathon School District where she is also employed. Hamann said the library’s circulation numbers were up 4 percent compared to pre-Covid data and reported on new offerings for staff and students coming soon.
The district’s mental health committee, which has been meeting monthly since 2016, also gave a year end summary, sharing the impacts of activities such as presentations for staff and the safe school ambassadors program, which involves selected students in sixth through twelfth grades.
Board member Megan Wesolowski gave a brief parent-teacher organization report, emphasizing the need for staff to request funds from the PTO. She said the group has money available to help with items like classroom supplies, but they have to get the word out to staff to let them know of its availability.
