Dear Members of ANWSD Community,
Thank you to everyone for your continued support of the Addison Northwest School District (ANWSD). The purpose of this note is to share information with you about the upcoming Town Meeting ballot.
The District’s Informational Meeting occurred on February 27th, 2023. If you were unable to attend and/or would like more information, please visit the District website www.anwsd.org or click below on the following resources:
We applaud the many accomplishments made by the people of this District on behalf of our students. Please read the Annual Report; there is much to be proud of this past year. We sincerely thank administrators, faculty, and staff, who have worked so hard to make education happen for our students in a setting that is welcoming and supportive for all. We thank our community for your continued support of public education. And we thank our students for their persistence to be “a kind, collaborative, creative community for all.”
On March 7th, we present two Articles for your consideration.
Article 7 is the FY24 ANWSD District budget. This budget maintains all current student programming and continues our commitment to high-quality staffing by funding professional development and competitive salaries. The budget invests in staffing to meet emerging student social and emotional needs. The proposed FY24 budget of $25,312,768 is a 13.37% increase from the FY23 budget. In addition, the per pupil spending in this proposed budget is estimated at $23,798, a 17.45% increase from the current rate. The Union Tax rate is estimated at $1.5375 which is a 1.03% increase from the current rate. Because property values have skyrocketed across the District, all Common Level of Appraisals (CLAs) in the District have significantly fallen again; thus, all town and city residents will see an increased Homestead Tax Rate between 6.58% and 15.54%. As you contemplate this tax increase, please consider that for two years in a row, district tax-payers saw Homestead Tax rate decreases. The Board directed $200,000 in surplus funds to offset additional increases.
This Board takes seriously the importance of managing our collective resources. In the six years since consolidation, the overall budget of the ANWSD had increased by less than 6% from FY18 to FY23. That's a 1% year over year historical increase. It increased by double digits this year because of needed investments to address our students’ needs, the desire to make our wages competitive in the region, and significant increases in fixed cost due to inflation.
Article 8 authorizes the assignment of $600,000 from the fiscal year 2022 fund balance to the ANWSD Capital Improvements Fund. Our buildings face some upcoming repair and maintenance issues, including much needed improvements at VUES and VUHS. The District has an excellent Facilities Maintenance Plan and by adding to the existing Capital Improvement Fund, we will be in a much better position to provide the resources required to keep our facilities in excellent condition.
We hope you will join us in supporting these articles on March 7th, 2023. Voting will take place at the following times and locations:
If you have any questions, please contact ANWSD directly as we cannot respond to postings due to open meeting laws. Thank you for your continued support and engagement.
Respectfully,
The ANWSD Board
