GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Inflation and fewer students are real problems facing school districts across the nation and here at home.
"I don't anticipate any concerns from the public," said Green Bay Schools Chief Financial Officer Angela Roble.
Roble said the board is set to vote on this year's nearly $336-Million budget following a public hearing Monday night. That plan is to raise the mill rate a few cents, which would result in a slight uptick in property taxes.
"Eight dollars was our historical low for Green Bay for as long as we could find records for. So, an increase in $8.26 means if everything stays the same—it's $26 in additional taxes on a $100,000 home," Roble said.
However, as property values increase across the nation, and nearly 9 percent on average across the district in the last year, taxpayers are wondering if they'll have to pay more on top of the mill hike. Roble said that's not necessarily the case since the state is offering some tax relief for property owners and setting aside more money into that school levy tax credit pool.
"So, as a taxpayer, you'll see that reduction on your taxes, but that's not - it will directly offset how much you're paying in school district taxes. Essentially, we should see an increase in that, or you should see an increase in that, because the state did put so much into that pot of money for that school levy tax credit," Roble said.
With no major setbacks to this year's budget, the district is already planning for the future as it deals with declining enrollment, inflation and a lack of American Rescue Plan Money that will have to be used by the end of next September.
"We have really been working on and reducing that deficit we had been projecting for the last couple of years. So, we continue to align our staffing with our declining enrollment. So, through attrition, we are reducing our (full-time equivalent) or staffing positions so we're not backfilling," Roble said.
That includes possibly closing schools in the district in which school and community leaders have already been discussing.
"We are continually trying as a district strategically to figure out those places where we can produce and create efficiencies and reduce costs so when we get into 24-25, we are a balanced budget," Roble said.
A public hearing will be held Monday at 5:30 p.m. at 200 South Broadway in Green Bay, and the board is set to vote on the budget immediately after.
