Budget Approval & Levy Certification Meeting, October 26, 2026

The La Crosse Public Schools Board of Education held its Budget Approval & Levy Certification Meeting on October 26, 2026. The board reviewed the 2026–27 budget, including a projected balanced Fund 10 budget with revenues and expenditures of $96.857 million. It approved the certified levy of $53,414,424; the projected mill rate is $6.98, down about 62 cents from the prior year. District staff noted that equalized property values rose about 10%, so the lower mill rate does not necessarily mean lower school taxes for property owners. The levy includes approximately $44 million for general operations, $2.7 million for capital improvements, $4.3 million for debt service, and $2.424 million for the community service fund. A motion and second were also made to approve the community service fund levy, but the transcript does not capture its final disposition.

The board also received an annual report on the OPEB trust, which had a balance of just over $21 million and about $2.3 million in disbursements; the district did not contribute this year and expects to resume contributions, projected at about $2.3 million, in the 2027–28 budget year. The discussion covered state school-funding limits, declining enrollment, state aid, open enrollment, and voucher-related aid deductions. No contracts, vendor selections, bids, or other procurement activity were identified.