Waunakee budget committee reviews first draft, flags staffing shifts and enrollment trends
May 04, 2026 | Waunakee Community School District, School Districts, Wisconsin
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The Waunakee Community School District budget committee reviewed the first draft of the 2026 budget on May 4, outlining compensation assumptions, program changes and staffing shifts.
Staff presented the draft with key planning assumptions: "we use the $0 increase per pupil for categorical and the $325 increase per student for the revenue limit formula," a 2.63% CPI increase for staff pay, and implementation of a compensation system that adds roughly 2% in costs. The packet also shows a 6.55 net increase in full-time-equivalent positions across the district and an updated debt-service plan tied to the most recent PTMA financial plan.
Why this matters: the combination of state aid calculations and local open-enrollment choices will shape revenue available to cover those cost increases. Staff told the committee that some pages in the packet reflect earlier planning-model projections and will be updated in the second draft; staff will present updated open-enrollment numbers to the full board next Monday.
Committee members pressed for detail on the FTE lines and headcount references. Staff pointed the group to the packet pages and clarified that some activity revenues are budgeted in different funds (for instance, club and organization activity shifts between Fund 10 and Fund 21), which can make comparisons between intermediate, middle and high schools look uneven.
The committee reviewed several specific staffing decisions: the PAC director role will become a full-time post split between district (Fund 10) and community-use (Fund 80) funding following a retirement; additional release time will be added for the high-school Warrior Media position; and the district will replace classroom time lost to those shifts with a new teacher. The committee also approved an increase of 1.5 FTE in Fund 80 for the positions discussed.
Administrators flagged potential state-budget developments affecting special-education and categorical aid. While the district budgeted high-cost special-education aid conservatively at 80%, staff noted the state budget had proposals rising to 90% and cautioned that large districts applying for high-cost aid could materially change allocations. They also said ongoing negotiations over the state budget surplus could yield seven-figure categorical-aid gains for the district.
The committee unanimously approved the FTE request for Fund 80 and moved to the next agenda items. The district will circulate an updated second draft that incorporates corrected enrollment counts and any newly available grant allocations before the board reviews the full budget.
Staff presented the draft with key planning assumptions: "we use the $0 increase per pupil for categorical and the $325 increase per student for the revenue limit formula," a 2.63% CPI increase for staff pay, and implementation of a compensation system that adds roughly 2% in costs. The packet also shows a 6.55 net increase in full-time-equivalent positions across the district and an updated debt-service plan tied to the most recent PTMA financial plan.
Why this matters: the combination of state aid calculations and local open-enrollment choices will shape revenue available to cover those cost increases. Staff told the committee that some pages in the packet reflect earlier planning-model projections and will be updated in the second draft; staff will present updated open-enrollment numbers to the full board next Monday.
Committee members pressed for detail on the FTE lines and headcount references. Staff pointed the group to the packet pages and clarified that some activity revenues are budgeted in different funds (for instance, club and organization activity shifts between Fund 10 and Fund 21), which can make comparisons between intermediate, middle and high schools look uneven.
The committee reviewed several specific staffing decisions: the PAC director role will become a full-time post split between district (Fund 10) and community-use (Fund 80) funding following a retirement; additional release time will be added for the high-school Warrior Media position; and the district will replace classroom time lost to those shifts with a new teacher. The committee also approved an increase of 1.5 FTE in Fund 80 for the positions discussed.
Administrators flagged potential state-budget developments affecting special-education and categorical aid. While the district budgeted high-cost special-education aid conservatively at 80%, staff noted the state budget had proposals rising to 90% and cautioned that large districts applying for high-cost aid could materially change allocations. They also said ongoing negotiations over the state budget surplus could yield seven-figure categorical-aid gains for the district.
The committee unanimously approved the FTE request for Fund 80 and moved to the next agenda items. The district will circulate an updated second draft that incorporates corrected enrollment counts and any newly available grant allocations before the board reviews the full budget.
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