Palmyra-Eagle
Area School District
Financial State of the District & Community Update
Financial Challenges
• The District is experiencing increasing costs. At the same time, the amount of money we receive in state aid decreased more than 20% over the past two years.
• The state limits the amount of money available to the District from state aid and local property taxes. This funding level used to increase with inflation, but the state ended that in 2009. If that had continued, Palmyra-Eagle schools would have approximately $1.8 million in additional funds this year ($3,573 more per student).
• Enrollment in choice programs (private school vouchers and open enrollment to other districts) costs more than $4 million each year. The state changed funding for open enrollment last year, which will cost Palmyra-Eagle an additional $400,000 each year.
• We received less money than expected from the state to pay for special education. As a result, we needed to use money from the general budget to pay for these services.
• The federal government also cut the amount of money we are receiving this year.
• Our teachers have the lowest average pay in the Trailways Conference, making it hard to attract and retain staff and maintain stability for students.
• Student enrollment is declining. Palmyra-Eagle is not alone. Across Wisconsin, 74% of school districts have fewer students now than they did 15 years ago. This is an issue because the amount of money we receive is based on the number of students we serve.
Ways PEASD Has Mitigated Costs
The District has remained fiscally responsible by:
Cutting staff positions to align with enrollment
Delaying building maintenance
Deferring technology updates, saving approximately $800,000 annually
Securing more than $650,000 in grants
Even with these efforts, the District is projected to face annual budget deficits ranging from $600,000 to $1 million over the next four years.
Learn More! Join Us for One of Our Information Sessions
Tuesday, October 6th @ Montessori
5:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Monday, October 12 @ EES
5:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Wednesday, October 28th @ MS/HS
5:00 pm and 7:00 pm
The referendum question will appear on the November election ballot as follows:
“Shall the Palmyra-Eagle Area School District, located in Waukesha, Jefferson and Walworth Counties, Wisconsin, be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $797,000 per year for four years, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year and ending with the 2030-2031 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational expenses, including but not limited to maintaining programs and staffing?”
Understanding the Language
Revenue limit: The maximum amount of money a Wisconsin school district can receive through state aid and local property taxes for general operations.
Non-recurring: Temporary funding approved for a specific number of years. The additional funding ends when that period expires.
Operational expenses: Day-to-day costs of running the district, including staff, classroom programs, transportation, utilities, technology and building maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Community Information Sessions & Resources
In accordance with Wisconsin statutory requirements, public school district communications remain neutral and factual. PEASD will host upcoming public information sessions to provide community members with additional financial context and answer questions:
District Updates & Fact Sheets: Information regarding district finances, revenue limits, and budget breakdowns will be updated regularly on the district website.