The Manitowoc Public School District Board of Education has approved their budget for the 2021-22 school year.
Superintendent Mark Holzman says the $89.4 million spending package includes a property tax levy rate of $7.42 per $1000 of equalized home value–the lowest since 1984.
He adds that the district was able to balance their general operations budget without using the fund balance in years thanks to rising local property values, increased state and federal aid and a voter-approved referendum last spring allowing for the district to exceed annual state revenue limits by up to $4.3 million for three years to maintain existing K-12 District-wide educational programming and opportunities.
The spending plan also contains the launch of McKinley Academy, a new virtual school option, continued free meals for families and health and safety mitigation during the pandemic, and a 1.23% increase in salaries and benefits for staff.
In a news release, Holzman says “We are committed to being strong fiscal stewards and once again thank the community for the trust you placed in us last spring with the referendum approval that has strengthened our financial position.”
He adds, “We are carefully monitoring our finances to ensure we are focusing on improving student achievement and outcomes.”
