APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Appleton Area School District (AASD) has a much clearer financial picture for this school year, thanks to its voters.
They passed a four-year, $15 million annual referendum in the spring.
“We are able to keep programs up and running, staff at the same supported levels that we have been, and looking at moving forward the same,” said Holly Burr, AASD’s Executive Director of Finance.
Newly formed committee looks at long-term finances
A recently formed committee of the school board has actually begun planning the next five years of school finances, preparing for life after the referendum expires in 2030. The planning includes whether the district would need to go to referendum again, if so for how much, and look at other alternatives.
Planning is very early, but Financial Planning Committee Chair Oliver Zornow says it’s important to work on that plan now.
“A five-year plan gives us greater visibility into the choices that we need to make going forward as a district,” said Zornow.
District hopes to avoid future referendum
From the district’s standpoint, hopefully it doesn’t mean another $15 million-per-year referendum.
“We’re hoping to find other avenues to make the district very sustainable moving forward without necessarily having to go to referendum,” said Burr. “But if that does come to pass, but that is an option again, then hopefully at a reduced rate.”
Either way, the district has its work cut out for itself. It’s losing about 1% of its students each year, mostly due to population decline, equating to 1,500 students lost in the last 10 years.
The district is financially stable due to the referendum, and planning out five years in advance will hopefully help it stay that way in five years.
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