WAUPACA, WI – As school districts across Wisconsin review their latest state aid allocations, Waupaca Superintendent Mark Flaten says the financial ripple effects could soon reach local taxpayers.
“The effects will likely reach local taxpayers,” Flaten explained. “That means more taxation, local taxes. And when you look at the state funding mechanism on schools and listen to elected officials, that’s what they’re pushing for, more local taxation.”
Flaten says when neighboring districts pass operational referendums, it can shift how the state’s funding formula distributes aid, leaving other districts like Waupaca with less financial support. “Port Edwards was the only district in the county to see an increase in state aid,” he noted, “while others, including Alma, Bancroft, and Iola-Scandinavia, also took a hit, and it comes down to mill rates.”
He added that Waupaca currently maintains one of the lowest mill rates in the region, which can affect how funding is distributed. “We’ve got a lower mill rate than they do,” Flaten said. “So again, one of those ideas that our one measure of spending compared to others is your mill rate. We’ve got the lowest mill rate in the area.”
Flaten says the district had already been exploring the possibility of an operational referendum before the aid reduction, a move aimed at preserving programs, staff, and the community values that define Waupaca schools.
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