Posted: June 17, 2009

A first look at the Wauwatosa School District's 2009-10 budget proposal reveals many variables, all waiting on firm numbers from state legislators.

John Mack, district director of business services, said the current version of next year's proposed $77.2 million budget is one of the most difficult he's ever created because of that ongoing uncertainty.

"When I put this together originally, nothing - nothing - was out from the state," Mack said.

Yet it is this proposal that district residents will be asked to comment on at a public hearing Tuesday.

Mack said state aid and the per-pupil revenue cap - both of which help determine property tax levels - are currently undecided by lawmakers, who have been scrambling to patch a record $6.6 billion deficit while crafting the state's 2009-11 budget.

Levy increase predicted

As of right now, the district's 2009-10 budget calls for a $43.4 million property tax levy, an 8.59 percent increase over the $40 million levy for the current budget.

Property tax rates would increase to $8.09 per $1,000 of equalized property value, a hike of 64 cents per $1,000 of value.

Mack said the tax increase stems from an anticipated $1.5 million drop in state aid.

"The state is taking a lesser share in school financing," Mack said, adding that when state aid goes down, local property taxes must rise to make up the difference.

Superintendent Phil Ertl said next year's property tax rate ultimately might be lower than proposed, but district officials won't have solid guesses about amounts until the dust settles at the state level. State lawmakers have said they expect a finished budget in July.

That will give the district a better idea of what final numbers will be, but a finished school budget probably won't materialize until October, after official enrollment counts take place on the third Friday in September.

Staffing costs estimated

Even with all the unknown numbers on the revenue side of the budget, Mack said, the proposal does have purpose.

The document does establish a fairly accurate picture of the district's planned expenditures, although if revenue projections prove to be significantly off, adjustments to spending may be needed.

Mack said he and district administrators carefully considered each expenditure, including all staffing positions, to make the estimates included in the proposal.

At $64.1 million, staff salaries and benefits make up 83 percent of the proposed budget, up from 80.12 percent this year. Mack suggested that School Board members consider reining in staffing costs in the future to help reduce the overall budget.

NEXT STEP

WHAT: public hearing on budget

WHERE: Wauwatosa East High School, 7500 Milwaukee Ave.

WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday

MORE INFO:

wauwatosaschools.org