District presenter warns fund balance will shrink as board discusses 2024–25 budget

A district staff member leading the budget presentation told the Platteville School District board on Monday night that the district’s fund balance is projected to fall from roughly 27% at the end of 2022–23 to about 20% under the current plan for 2023–24.

“I take responsibility for the leadership of that campaign,” the Budget presenter said, reflecting on outreach tied to a recent operating referendum and adding, “I failed at this effort,” when describing shortcomings in explaining local budget details to the community. The presenter said the board should start public discussions with the approved October 2023 budget and walk through line items to help residents understand what drives the district’s finances.

The presentation highlighted three fiscal snapshots: audited 2021–22 figures, unaudited 2022–23 numbers that were later audited, and the proposed 2023–24 budget. The presenter said revenue limits set by the state constrain revenue growth while expenses drive the district’s ability to maintain its fund balance.

The presenter called out two concrete budget moves: a transfer of $2.1 million from Fund 10 to Fund 27 (special education) in 2022–23 and a projected $2.7 million movement for 2023–24 to ensure those ledgers balance; the presenter said they would provide more detail about how those transfers work at a future meeting. The presenter also noted that a non‑referendum debt-service obligation tied to OPEB is scheduled to be fully paid next year, which will ease one line-item pressure.

Board members asked for additional detail on the revenue and expenditure lines, including a large “transfers in” entry on page three of the packet. The presenter replied they would research and return with a clearer explanation. The presenter also suggested the board consider explaining the board fund‑balance policy (15% target) and the implications if the balance drops below that threshold.

The presenter urged patience in interpreting isolated numbers and preferred questions that would allow staff to research figures and return with clear answers, saying the district will build the budget discussion iteratively and ask the public to email follow‑up questions if desired. No formal budget vote was taken Monday; staff will bring further breakdowns and clarifications at a later meeting.

What happens next: staff will follow up with detailed explanations of the transfers and revenue-line items and present additional budget detail at the board’s request; the board did not take a final vote on budget adoption at this meeting.