The Madison Metropolitan School District’s (MMSD) Board of Education has approved the district’s preliminary budget for the 2026–27 school year, a spending plan designed to maintain investments in students, staff and school programs while navigating rising costs and continued uncertainty in state education funding.
The preliminary budget serves as the foundation for the district’s final budget, which will be updated this fall after the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) certifies state aid amounts, enrollment figures and revenue limits.
The budget reflects a reality facing school districts across Wisconsin: costs continue to rise while state funding has largely failed to keep pace. State general aid estimates, released July 1 by DPI, have MMSD set to receive $7 million less for 2026–27 than 2025–26, though the district anticipated the decrease in its preliminary budget.
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"Our community has consistently demonstrated its commitment to public education, but local taxpayers cannot continue to shoulder a growing share of the responsibility alone," said Deputy Superintendent TJ McCray. "Wisconsin must provide sustainable, predictable funding for public schools so districts can focus on serving students rather than managing uncertainty. Every child deserves access to a high-quality education, regardless of where they live."
The budget development process began earlier this year and included regular updates to the Board of Education, community feedback opportunities and detailed reviews of district priorities, staffing needs, compensation obligations and projected revenues.
Among the primary factors shaping the 2026–27 budget are the continued implementation of the district’s voter-approved operating referendum, a state-authorized $325 per-student increase in revenue authority and the absence of additional investments in general school aids or per-pupil categorical aid during the current state budget cycle. Wisconsin’s per-pupil categorical aid remains at $742 per student.
The operating referendum approved by voters in November 2024 provides $100 million in operating authority over four years, including an additional $20 million for the 2026–27 school year. The referendum resources have helped MMSD maintain staffing, student supports and educational programming while navigating ongoing financial pressures.
"This budget reflects the challenges school districts across Wisconsin continue to face," said Bob Soldner, assistant superintendent of financial services. "The referendum approved by our community has provided critical stability, allowing us to continue investing in students and staff while planning responsibly for the future. Without that support, many of the services families expect from their public schools would be increasingly difficult to sustain."
The budget was developed with an emphasis on aligning resources to student needs while remaining fiscally responsible. MMSD continues to prioritize student learning, mental health supports, staffing and strategic investments designed to improve outcomes for students.
The preliminary budget also includes a projected increase in the district’s property tax levy. Current estimates indicate the tax rate could increase by approximately 0.24 mills, or 2.35 percent. For the average Madison homeowner, whose home is valued at approximately $500,300, the school portion of the property tax bill is projected to increase by about $311.82 annually.
Those figures remain preliminary and will likely change before the Board of Education adopts a final budget in October. Final calculations will depend on certified enrollment counts, state aid allocations and property valuation data that will not be available until later this year.
As planning continues, MMSD will refine the budget based on updated information while continuing to advocate for increased state investment in public education. Community members may continue to provide feedback through the district’s budget engagement process as work progresses toward adoption of the final 2026–27 budget.
