School District of Tomahawk sees nearly 25% decrease in state aid

WISCONSIN – The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction last week published state general school aids that school districts will receive during the current school year.

DPI said the release of certified financial figures is based on data from the previous school year, including student counts and year-end financial data. 

The information published last week includes certified general school aid amounts for each school district, as well as 2025-26 student enrollment numbers for independent charter schools and private schools participating in the Private School Choice Programs (PSCP) and the Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP).

Certain enrollment numbers for these programs are used to determine the dollar amounts to be withheld from school districts’ aid payments to fund the programs as applicable, according to DPI.

“General school aids are the largest form of state support for PK-12 schools in Wisconsin and are based on prior-year data,” DPI stated. “The PSCP, SNSP, and independent charter school programs are funded based on current year data.” 

DPI is required by state law to release the certified aid figures by Oct. 15 of each year. 

General school aid amounts for school districts are calculated using student counts and year-end financial data from the previous school year (2024-25). This certified data replaces preliminary aid estimates released in July.

DPI said the 2025-2027 state biennial budget kept funding for general school aids for the 2025-26 school year flat at $5.58 billion. 

“Statewide, a majority of general aid is equalization aid, which is distributed according to a formula designed to help Wisconsin communities provide public education despite local differences in property wealth,” DPI stated. “The formula incorporates school district expenditures, property values and resident student counts (called ‘membership’). The other, smaller elements of general school aids are integration aid (or ‘Chapter 220’ aid) and special adjustment aid. The latter, also known as ‘hold harmless’ aid, prevents districts from receiving more than a 15% reduction in gross general aid from year to year and will rise to 88 districts for 2025-26. However, total aid for 68 districts decreased more than 15% year-to-year due to prior year aid adjustments. These adjustments typically stem from shifts in expenditures used to calculate prior year aid.”

Aid varies widely by district based on the equalization formula, according to DPI. Of 421 districts, 111 (26%) will receive more aid for 2025-26 than in 2024-25; 301 (71%) of districts will receive less.

According to DPI data, the School District of Tomahawk will see a $494,303.00 (24.7%) decrease in state aid from last October, representing one of the largest such drops in the state by percentage.

Aid amounts for each school district can be found on the department's School Financial Services webpage at www.dpi.wi.gov/sfs/aid/general/summary, both alphabetically and by percent change.

General school aids are paid in four installments during the school year.