Local
Madison schools approve 2026-27 budget as district warns of state funding gap
The Madison school board approved its 2026-27 budget Monday, with district leaders citing rising operating costs and heavy reliance on local taxpayers. The district had projected it would receive $7 million less than in the current budget year.
The Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education approved the district’s 2026-27 budget Monday, Oct. 26, as officials warned that state funding has not kept pace with rising costs.
Board President Savion Castro said the budget continues investments in early literacy, full-day 4K, multilingual programming, career and technical education, staff retention and professional development. He thanked the community for supporting those priorities and said the district aims to manage its finances responsibly amid mounting expenses.
About 80% of MMSD’s spending goes to employee wages and related costs, the district said, making pay, benefits and health insurance major factors in budget planning. Assistant Superintendent of Financial Services Bob Soldner said those costs support the educators and staff who serve students, and that districts face difficult choices when operating expenses rise faster than state aid.
Local taxpayers provide about 90% of MMSD’s annual budget, according to the district. Superintendent Joe Gothard said that dependence reflects what he called a flaw in Wisconsin’s public-school funding system, which he said leaves communities to cover more of the cost through property taxes and makes long-term planning harder.
The board approved a preliminary version of the budget in July. At that time, MMSD said it expected to receive $7 million less in 2026-27 than in 2025-26.
Madison voters approved a $100 million operating referendum in November 2024, providing additional revenue over four years for district operations. MMSD says the funding has helped it plan for student and staff needs, but does not resolve the broader challenges posed by the state funding system.