MADISON, WI -- Senator Romaine Robert Quinn responded to a letter sent out by the School District of Superior this week regarding property tax notices. Quinn’s letter provides context missing from the district’s initial communication and asks that all information be provided to the parents, taxpayers, and media outlets that were initially contacted by the district.
The full text of the letter is as follows:
December 20, 2024
School District of Superior
3025 Tower Avenue
Superior, WI 54880
Re: Letter on property tax statement
Dear District Administrator Starzecki and Business Director See:
In recent days Superior residents have expressed questions regarding the increased property taxes across the city and school district. As we know, the Superior School District’s referendum to increase property taxes passed in November. I assume this is why many individuals have contacted the district with concerns. It was good of you to address the issue with a letter, though I believe there are some misleading comments included in your correspondence.
The discussion on equalization aid is a complex topic and it is not accurate to say that the state is not maintaining the amount of Equalization Aid, or that it has “been intentional in pushing this expense onto property owners.” The legislature has actually added more money into Equalization Aid, but as you know, this is a closed system and aid is distributed based on a formula to schools around the state. From the 2016-17 school year to the 2024-25 school year, the state has increased general school aids by 22%, or approximately $1 billion.
Superior School District saw a decrease in funding in this category in part because the district membership dropped by almost 6% in the 2024-25 school year and has been on a downward trend with the exception of the 2022-23 school year. In the 2023-24 school year, the district was at 79.57% state support with local property taxpayers contributing the other 20.43% when calculating the cost of education and all funds received. This ranked Superior 52nd out of the state’s 421 school districts for total state assistance, and it is a higher percentage of state aid compared to your neighboring districts of Maple, Webster, Northwoods, Solon Springs, South Shore, Drummond, and Hayward.
Property taxes are levied by municipalities, school districts, and technical colleges – all of which receive significant state aids in addition to the property tax revenues that they levy. You noted that the city reassessed the values of all homes, but it is my understanding that the city has not done a city-wide revaluation in 19 years, which may contribute to the sticker shock that residents are seeing. The last state budget reduced property taxes below what Governor Evers proposed, while also funding the largest investment in education in state history. Governor Evers’s partial veto power will enable school boards to increase property taxes every year for the next 400 years.
I believe your letter to families in the school district has misled them on some of the real reasons why property taxes have increased to this degree. If you had wanted to provide full clarity, you would have included more detail on the components that go into Equalization Aid and the impact of your decreasing membership. I would appreciate you sharing this information with the parents, taxpayers, and media outlets you communicated with in your initial letter so that they have all of the information before them.
As you plan to urge residents to advocate at the state level, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly if you would like to have a serious discussion on how to help our northern Wisconsin schools succeed, even in instances of declining enrollment.
Sincerely,
Romaine Robert Quinn, State Senator, Wisconsin’s 25th Senate District
Last Update: Dec 20, 2024 2:59 pm CST
