School District Property Taxes on the Rise
Thursday, December 19th, 2019 -- 9:45 AM
(WRN) -School district property taxes are on the rise.A number of factors are leading to the largest increase in school taxes in a decade. On average, school taxes will be going up around 4 and a half percent around Wisconsin. Wisconsin Policy Forum research director Jason Stein says one big factor is a number of school tax referendums that are all starting to take effect.
"You know they may kick in very quickly, or they may phase in over time, depending on how the district structured that ballot question."
Stein says one major factor is a record number of school tax referendums that have been approved.
"More school districts started putting referendums on the ballot to raise property taxes to pay for construction projects or increased operating budgets."
Stein says one major factor is an approved increase in the amount of funding a district can levy.
"The state provided a 175 dollar per pupil increase in the revenue limits, and so that was the first increase in several years."
School districts are also being allowed to raise their overall tax levy by 175 dollars a pupil this year, thanks to changes made in the state budget. That number had been relatively frozen during the Walker administration.
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