Most county schools to see drop in state aid

Four Trempealeau County school districts will receive less state aid this year, while the others will see only small increases.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released the official figures last Wednesday. Arcadia, Eleva-Strum, Independence and Osseo-Fairchild will all receive less aid than a year ago, while Blair-Taylor, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau and Whitehall will see slight increases of 0.93% to 2.12%.

State aid is used to help offset local property tax payments. A reduction or minimal increase will likely translate to higher property taxes. 

The certified aid figures are based on data from the previous school year, including student counts and year-end finances. General school aids are the largest form of state support for public schools in Wisconsin. By law, the DPI must release the certified figures by Oct. 15 each year.

Arcadia will see the largest reduction, losing more than $800,000 in state aid — a 6.10% decrease from last year. Osseo-Fairchild will receive about $400,000 less (5.78%), Eleva-Strum about $220,000 less (3.59%), and Independence was nearly even with a 1.14% reduction, or $55,652.

Even the schools that didn’t see reductions won’t see much of an increase. G-E-T will see an increase of $252,340 (2.12%), Blair-Taylor $98,242 (1.9%), and Whitehall $66,131 (0.93%).

Local schools are not unusual, as the state budget approved in July did not increase school aid, keeping funding flat at $5.58 billion. Statewide, 301 districts saw a decrease in aid and only 111 received an increase. General school aids are paid in four installments during the school year.