Evansville school budget proposes a 1.1% levy increase
EVANSVILLE — Property owners in the Evansville Community School District could see a 1.1 percent tax levy increase based on the proposed budget to be presented at Monday’s annual meeting.
Other area districts are proposing up to 20 percent levy increases to deal with cuts in state aid.
“We are extremely fortunate in the Evansville Community School District,” said Michael Pierick, school board president. “At a time when many districts in the state are slashing budgets and positions and increasing classes and fees, we have mostly managed to maintain our budgets, fill vacant positions and keep small class sizes and reasonable fees.”
The proposed total budget would increase 5.2 percent, while the tax rate would increase 2.3 percent.
The state’s estimated aid gives Evansville a 3.68 percent increase. That ranks third highest in the area, behind Beloit Turner and Genoa City.
Most area districts expect drops in state aid, and several face cuts of up to a 15 percent.
“The state formula recognizes the fact that our district and others at the top of the list have relatively low property values,” Pierick said. “Certainly, the fact that our enrollment has continued to gradually rise over the last five to seven years has also benefited the district because of the way the state formula works.”
The number of families leaving the district because of auto industry layoffs is unknown, he said, but officials hope for a slight enrollment increase on the official count on the third Friday of the school year.
EVANSVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET
A look at the proposed 2009-2010 budget for the Evansville School District:
What’s next?: The school district will have its annual meeting at 7 p.m. Monday in the media room of the high school, 640 S. 5th St.
Total budget
2009-2010 $23,900,647
2008-2009 $22,715,002
Increase 5.2%
Tax levy
2009-2010 $7,174,640
2008-2009 $7,096,094
Increase 1.1%
Tax rate
(Per $1,000
of assessed valuation)
2009-2010 $10.48
2008-2009 $10.24
Increase 2.3%
Note: Percent changes calculated on whole numbers.
Aug 28, 2009 at 9:43 p.m.
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Hey curtaincall: I'm not Kathy Swanson. I'm Melissa Hammann. And I'm nobody's puppet. Just ask anybody who has actually attended a meeting. See what happens when you assume?
As for the district's current debt. There are 3 loans on the rolls. The first was school improvements taken out in 1992 and due paid in full in 2012-2013. The largest is the High School loan due paid in 2020-2021. Finally, there is a loan to pay off unfunded pension liability due paid off in 2021-2022.
To iworkforme: I was unfortunately on vacation when the house was voted on. I scheduled it to avoid the standard board meeting and the meeting was changed due to another conflicting meeting. I don't like to miss meetings, but given that we had every Monday except 3 or 4 since June 1st scheduled for a meeting this summer, it's going to happen sooner or later.
I would recommend anybody who wants concise financial data to discuss it with our business manager. She is a wealth of knowledge and is willing to share data. I saw this before and after I won a seat on the board. There is also a section of the DPI website dedicated to financial data in which you can compare and contrast financial data available for every district in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, the latest data is only 2006-2007, I believe.
And I have to challenge that you have attended board meetings regularly. I have sat in empty meetings month in and month out where the only people present are school personnel. I would be grateful if people regularly attended the meetings. It is a bit ironic that you attended the one meeting I missed in the last 3 months.
Again, I must take this opportunity to encourage Evansville voters to attend the meeting on Monday, August 31 at 7pm in the High School Media Rooms (just off the commons). Let your voice be heard where it can truly make a difference!
Aug 28, 2009 at 4:22 p.m.
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And what's happening with the tax assessment values for homes? Are these values going to be decreased to reflect the overall decrease in the housing market? (I mention this because, unless tax assessments on real estate are lowered, our taxes are actually being increased by more than the percents stated here.)
Aug 28, 2009 at 7:29 a.m.
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To Katy, I am going to try to use the gazette's contact feature and send you the name of the district employee who seems to think this loan expires in 2014. It's a courtesy, I could put her name on here, but I would like to think she is just misinformed as well. Please watch for the email.
Aug 28, 2009 at 5:45 a.m.
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O.K. I see know where katy says 2021 it will be paid. Then some one does need to inform the district staff , by that I mean the ladies in the district office, they have it wrong, as it was within the last year I was told 2014. NO wonder why there is mis information it starts at the school. If it was not so sad they do this it would be funny.
Aug 28, 2009 at 5:32 a.m.
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I am not impressed. I have not been impressed with the school board for the last several years. The only saving grace was Art Phillips because he challenged Heidi and did not just go along with what ever Heidi wanted. He asked the hard questions. When I read the posts on the blog story I to thought as well this is the lady who lives next to Heidi. Our tax levy is already high so saying it will only increase by 1.1% is not at all impressive. If it had gone up much more we would have surpassed Clinton.
Its nice that project house, but if we lose money on it, it needs to stop. Where were you Katy, when your fellow board member tried to put something in place to avoid that? You did not speak up. I was at that board meeting, as I try to get to them as often as I can. I go to enough to know I am just not impressed.
More and more people are becoming disenchanted with this board and I think we will see changes in the next year or two, when elections roll around.
I knew it was not Herbers that made the suggestion as his wife works for the school district and he would never stand up to Heidi.
I was told by district staff the loan will be paid off in 2014, so if that is wrong someone should tell them.
Heidi Carvin has done this school district no favors and should have been let go years ago.
Aug 28, 2009 at 5 a.m.
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O.K. on the other post on this. I know who Katy is now. Heidi's neighbor and one of Heidi's puppets.
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