The purpose of the Financial Stability Ad Hoc Advisory Committee is to examine the School District’s financial/budget needs over the next multi-year budget cycle for the purpose of developing strategic financial stability recommendations for consideration by the Elkhorn Area School Board.

Over 75% of the district’s expenditures are personnel costs. The remaining portion of our expenses are student transportation, utilities and maintenance, capital and non-capital purchases—for example, instructional materials, textbooks, and paper, and open enrollment-out dollars. As inflation increases and the cost of living for all Americans rises, our expenditures grow year after year despite having the lowest per-pupil spending rate in our area. Elkhorn’s per-pupil spending rate is $2,404 below the state average.

In 1993, Governor Thompson ratified, through Act 16, revenue cap restrictions for K-12 funding. The revenue cap is a state restriction that limits the amount of revenue (money) a school district can raise from the tax levy (property taxes) and state equalization aid. For 16 years, Wisconsin legislators increased school funding in alignment with the Consumer Price Index (inflation). In 2009, that practice ceased, and schools have not had adequate state funding since, forcing school districts to go to referendums to close the gaps.

Had the state maintained the annual inflationary adjustment, Elkhorn would have an additional $3,380 per pupil - with 2,900* resident students, that’s over $9 million since 2009!

Click the image below to read the Financial Stability Ad Hoc Advisory Committee Report to the School Board. Included on page 24 is a link to the Minority Report.