Overview
- Statewide K-12 levies are rising by about $476.1 million to $6.58 billion on December tax bills, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum and Department of Revenue estimates.
- The report cites flat general school aid, revenue limit changes, and widespread referendums as key pressures that led many districts to tax at or near their maximums.
- Gov. Tony Evers’ partial veto that preserved a $325 per-pupil increase beyond one year was upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and Republicans are blaming it for higher bills.
- Legislation to confine that per-pupil hike to a single school year has cleared the Senate and is advancing in the Assembly, but it would need the governor’s signature.
- Local impacts vary widely, with Beloit’s levy nearly tripling, Madison accounting for 17% of the statewide K-12 increase, and Wauwatosa reporting average levy hikes above 30%, while projections suggest gross levies may grow roughly 5% next year.