The School District of Reedsburg’s primary focus in developing our operational budget is to meet the needs of our students with high-quality staff and materials. Our fiscal year starts July 1 and ends June 30. While many factors affecting our budget are not known until the middle of October, we developed a preliminary budget, which is presented at our Annual Meeting in August. The fiscal year’s final budget is approved by the Board in October when the tax levy is set.
The budget is a planning tool for the district to ensure we are using the limited resources available to support meaningful educational programs. In the School District of Reedsburg, the budget is built from the building (department) level. Teacher involvement is critical to this process. Under this system, there is no carry-over of money from one year to the next. Each program expenditure must be planned and included in the budget every year at the building (department) level. Planning for the building budget using prior-year history and continuing commitments as a starting point is critical for the development of a good budget. It is hoped that the result of this building (department) based budget program is a budget built around the programs and needs of our students.
The cornerstones for an accurate financial plan are a projection of the revenues from all sources, the costs of existing operations, and a projection of the costs of new programs, negotiated contracts, and other new initiatives. Regardless of the method used, care must be taken to develop an accurate budget. Special attention must be given to the development of accurate head counts and salary projections since these represent as much as 85 percent of some districts' budgets. Moreover, the district should use the budgeting process to make sure that each program or department is pursuing goals that support the district’s goals.
The District's budget process is ongoing throughout the school year; as we complete one budget year, we begin the budget process for the next school year. Wisconsin School Finance rules present some unique challenges under the current funding system. The final Revenue Limit calculation is dependent on the Third Friday student count in September. School districts do not know their Final State Aid until the Department of Public Instruction’s deadline of October 15. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue will certify the District’s property values by the middle of October. The current year’s Budget, with a fiscal year that starts July 1, is finalized by the end of October. The School Board will approve the final Budget and set the local tax levy in late October.
Wisconsin school districts operate under State revenue limits beginning with the 1993-94 school year. A district's revenue limit is the maximum amount of revenue it may raise through state general aid and property tax for the General, Non-Referendum Debt, and Capital Expansion Funds, also referred to as Funds 10, 38, and 41, respectively.
The maximum revenue limit is based on enrollment changes, the Consumer Price Index, and each district's prior year-controlled revenue. A district determines the maximum allowable levy for Funds 10, 38, and 41 by subtracting the October 15 general aid certification provided by the department from the revenue limit.
For More Information:
Please contact Debra Michel, Director of Business Services, at dmichel@rsd.k12.wi.us or (608) 524-2016, Ext. 2004, or Cindy Wilson at cwilson@rsd.k12.wi.us or (608) 524-2016, Ext. 2003.
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