Waukesha schools debt expected to clear, leaders say

The School District of Waukesha faces declining enrollment in the coming years – but leaders said, even with that, the district will soon be debt-free.

Enrollment declines

What they're saying:

Darren Clark, the district's chief financial officer, said a roughly 2% decline – the equivalent of 220 to 250 students per year – will hold on average for the next four to five years.

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"Our student body attending our brick-and-mortar schools is getting smaller," he said. 

That’s not unique to Waukesha or even the state. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public elementary and secondary enrollment dropped 6% in Wisconsin over a decade-long period.

District debt

By the numbers:

Clark said the School District of Waukesha currency has an annual $3 million to $4 million structural deficit. It’s something leaders have managed for a decade by selling buildings and reducing administrators and staff.

"At the elementary school, you can reduce sections – 80% of our budget is staff," he said. "A lot of those cuts will be in the form of staff more than likely."

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"It’s really a number of factors," said Superintendent Jim Sebert. "The primary one is there are just fewer kids being born."

Sebert said other factors, like school choice and virtual learning options, also play a role.

"We’re always trying to innovate – we have a lot of things we’re very proud of," he said.

School District of Waukesha

Why you should care:

While Clark said enrollment is the "driver of school finance," he also said there is reason to be optimistic.

"We will be debt free in a year. We’re the seventh-largest school district in the state, and to have no tax or approved debt on the books is a really a unique thing," he said.

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Clark said it will ultimately benefit taxpayers.

"Now we’ll be debt free, and the tax levy will go down significantly if the next state budget allows it," he said.

Clark said the 2025-26 budget will be approved in October.

The Source: Information in this report is from the FOX6 News interviews, the School District of Waukesha and the National Center for Education Statistics. 

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