More state aid spells repeat relief for Muskego district

The Muskego-Norway School District will receive more state aid, meaning fewer property tax dollars from homeowners compared to last year, said Scot Ecker, director of business services.

The state Department of Public Instruction announced state aid amounts Monday.

This will be the first time since 1997 that Muskego-Norway has been able to reduce tax levies for two consecutive years, Ecker said.

This positive financial news did not happen by accident, he said. Over the past few years, the district has taken calculated, but sometimes controversial, actions to reduce costs and increase enrollment, in part to deliberately increase state aid.

Among those efforts are a change in health insurance and the addition of kindergarten for 4-year old kindergarten, both of which have been validated by increasing aid, Ecker said.

The increase will be used for two purposes. Half will be used to lower the property tax levy and half will be used to help rehabilitate the district's aging facilities, he said.

The district's situation isn't shared by most others in the state. Unlike Muskego-Norway, nearly two-thirds of the state's school districts are seeing less aid this year, according to the DPI.

More information about the increased aid and the 2012-13 proposed school district budget will be given at the Muskego-Norway annual meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Muskego High School performing arts center, S8750 Racine Ave.