🎄 A Very Taxing Christmas: How the Superior School District Gifted You a Lump of Coal and Another Property Tax Hike
❄️ “Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the halls,
Not a brain cell was stirring in budget-filled stalls…”
Soupnutz Exclusive: The Deepest Dive into the School District’s Murky Money Pit Is Coming
Brace yourselves, taxpayers.
This isn’t just another snarky sleigh ride through the latest “for the children” shakedown.
Soupnutz is about to do the biggest investigative dive into the Superior School District’s fiscal dumpster fire in city history.We’re talking full snorkel, waterproof sarcasm, and a headlamp powered by FOIA requests.
Because this tax increase?
It’s not a one-time oopsie. It’s the symptom of a terminal case of Budgetary BS Syndrome.
And we’re done letting these people wrap garbage in tinsel and call it a gift.
“It’s For The Children!” — Oh, Please
There’s a special place in hell (probably a school board retreat) for people who weaponize kids to justify financial recklessness.
The line this year?
“We need more money to ensure a quality education for our students.”
Translation:
We forgot how to budget, gave raises to people who haven’t seen a classroom since AOL was cool, and now we’re coming for your house.
Property Tax Hike Just in Time for the Holidays
Because nothing screams “Christmas cheer” like getting a letter from the city that your monthly mortgage is going up thanks to a referendum wrapped in guilt and wrapped again in bureaucratic spin.
Santa didn’t eat your cookies—the school board did. And they brought their friends from the business office who think “cost cutting” means using both sides of the copier paper while still hiring another “Equity Enrichment Facilitator.”
School Board Meetings: Now with 100% More Grift
You can almost hear the smug satisfaction echoing through the December meeting:
“This will allow us to meet our long-term capital needs.”
Yeah?
So would selling the administration building and moving the administration into a tent.
Where exactly is this money going?
-
HVAC systems?
-
Roof repairs?
-
“Security updates” (i.e., new locks for closets full of junk)?
Or maybe… just maybe… it’s going to pay off that last pile of bad decisions stacked in the corner behind the bond debt and the last consultant’s PowerPoint.
The Soupnutz Audit Begins
Let me be crystal-clear:
Soupnutz is diving into every contract, salary sheet, referendum line item, and BS expense report this district has filed since the district tried to spell “transparency.”
We’re going to find:
The ghost positions padded into the payroll
The consultant bills that read like punchlines
And all the bloated administrative bloat that’s driving this madness
By the time we’re done, we’ll need a damn hazmat suit for the amount of fiscal funk we’re about to uncover.
This won’t just be another exposé.
It’s gonna be a taxpayer exorcism.
Where Did $80 Million Go, No Seriously?
If this district were a Netflix show, it’d be called:
“Budget: Impossible – Mission Inflatable.”
All you hear is:
“We didn’t raise enough last time. This time we’ll get it right.”
Sure. Like Pauly Shore’s next movie will win Best Picture.
The Real Legacy of This Holiday Hike
Let’s stop pretending this is about kids.
It’s about keeping a top-heavy district administration bloated and untouchable while parents keep footing the bill, teachers grind it out, and homeowners get to find out what “escrow panic” tastes like during eggnog season.
And if you dare question it?
Suddenly you’re anti-education, anti-kid, anti-community.
Nah. Just Anti-Grift.
🎤 Mic Drop: Dear Santa, Bring Audits
Dear Santa,
Forget the gifts. This year, bring a forensic accountant, 40 gallons of coffee, and the entire Soupnutz team.
We’re going in deep.
No more blind faith. No more blank checks.
Let the biggest school district investigation in Superior history begin.
And pass the damn spiked cider.
The Links
Disclaimer
The opinions, satire, sarcasm, and occasional truth bombs in this article are strictly those of SoupNutz.net and are not endorsed by the School District of Superior, the Board of Education, or anyone currently hiding behind a budget spreadsheet. All quotes are sourced from public records, news outlets, or the district’s own referendum materials. If you’re offended, congratulations — you’re paying attention.
District Letter December 12th 2025
From: School District of Superior <broadcasts@schoolmessengermail.com>
Date: December 12, 2025 at 4:01:03 PM CST
Subject: Superior School District 2025 Property
Reply-To: School District of Superior <broadcasts@schoolmessengermail.com>
December 12, 2025
Dear Spartan Community,
The annual property tax statements for our community will be mailed out this December. As we have communicated previously, we want to provide essential and transparent information ahead of time regarding the anticipated increase in your upcoming notice.
- The total projected tax levy for the School District is $27.4 million.
- This represents an increase of approximately 9.9% compared to last year.
We understand that seeing an increase is concerning, especially given the continuous sacrifices the District has made. The primary reason for the increase in your local property taxes is a significant reduction in funding from the State of Wisconsin and an increase in voucher school exemptions.
Funding Component | Change in Superior | Impact on Local Taxpayers |
State Equalization Aid
| Decrease of $2.31 Million | When the State provides less, the financial burden for funding essential education services is directly transferred to local property taxpayers. |
Voucher Program Tax Impact (WPCP & SNSP) | Voucher school exemption increase of $174,067 | The local tax levy is responsible for funding $553,258 diverted to private voucher schools in Superior. |
The total available revenue for the School District is actually projected to decrease, even as our local levy rises.
In addition to the reduction in state aid, the district was recently informed about the state’s calculation regarding special education funding. Although the state budget committed to a 42% reimbursement rate, the aid is now initially estimated to be only 35%. This reduction reduces the amount of funding the state committed by $679,242 for Superior. This unexpected change impacts funds for legally required services for students with disabilities, and these costs must be covered by our general operational budget that funds all school operations.
Like your own household budget, the School District is grappling with rising operational costs due to persistent inflation. Despite this pressure, we have proactively made significant, difficult cuts over the past few years, which are already affecting student opportunities:
- A reduction of over 60 staff positions.
- Program cuts that directly support student academic and social needs.
- Technology reductions.
- The closure of a school.
We remain eternally grateful for the community’s support in passing the referendum last year. This is what is currently protecting our District from making far more drastic, student-detrimental cuts. The referendum is NOT the cause of this tax increase.
The alternative to ever-increasing local taxes is for the State of Wisconsin to improve the funding of public education. We strongly encourage you to reach out to your state representatives regarding:
- The decrease in State Equalization Aid for the Superior School District.
- The shortfall in committed funding regarding Special Education reimbursement rates.
We welcome and encourage questions about our budget. Making assumptions or relying on unverified social media posts is harmful and inaccurate. If it sounds wrong online, there is a high probability it is wrong. You can find more detailed budget information, including clear explanations of these funding changes, on our district website: https://www.superior.k12.wi.us/district/business_office.
As always, please contact our Business Office with any questions, 715-394-8700.
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