Wausau School Board Reviews 2027 Budget Numbers

Tuesday, September 29th, 2026 -- 8:00 AM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) The next step in finalizing the 2027 Wausau School District budget was completed on Monday, when the Board of Education reviewed the numbers at its annual meeting.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, Assistant Superintendent for Operations Dr. Elizabeth Channel says district leaders have worked to present a balanced budget for the second straight year, knowing that tax dollars have been stretched thin.

“We have tried to be very mindful to keep that mill rate stabilized in order to benefit our taxpayers,” said Channel. Exact numbers will be finalized in the coming weeks. Channel said she expects all details by mid-October, just in time for the budget to be approved later that month.

That may seem like a backwards approach, but she says it also allows for several rounds of discussion before the numbers firm up. “So, the state does expect us to submit a budget in November."

"We have to go through multiple months in order for the budget to be seen by our school board [before] finalized numbers come in October. Even though it seems like it may be a little bit slow or backward, it does give time for the public to ask questions if anything does come up."

“We want our taxpayers, our community, to understand as much as they can about school finance and why we ask for the money that we do,” added Channel. Projections continue to show the mill rate dropping by four cents, to $6.54 per $1,000 of assessed value, thanks to a district-wide growth in property values and a decrease in the debt servicing budget.

This doesn’t mean an automatic drop in the 2027 tax bill. City, county, and Northcentral Technical College values are still being finalized. “We have to keep in mind that individual municipalities have different property value estimates. So, taxpayers could see an increase,” said Channel.

The annual meeting was one of a handful that the Board conducted on Monday. They also started the process of petitioning the Department of Public Instruction for an early start to the 2027-’28 school year.

The move would give contractors a longer construction season to complete roof repairs at Riverview Elementary. No members of the public spoke for or against the proposal during a public hearing.

If approved, the first day of school would be August 27th, 2027. The last day of school for students would be May 25th, 2028. The last day for teachers would be May 26th. If the DPI approves the waiver, the board will give final consideration to the proposed calendar at a future meeting.

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