Wisconsin · Glenwood City · Saint Croix County · CESA 11

Glenwood City School District

District briefing, fall 2026: enrollment, achievement, finances and property taxes.

On the ballot · November 3, 2026

Glenwood City School District: one referendum question

Shall the School District of Glenwood City, St. Croix and Dunn Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $750,000 per year for four years, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year and ending with the 2029-2030 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational and maintenance expenses?

Source: newspaper legal notice

Enrollment
720
2024-25
Revenue-limit members
696
2025-26 funding count
Enrollment, 5 yr
+1.1%
headcount change · peers −4.0%
Forward ELA z
−0.57
last 3 tested years
Cost / member
$18,438
2024-25
Mill rate
7.00
statewide K-12 6.90
Home value
+12%
5-yr avg vs. 12 nearby districts
Teachers staying
88%
2025-26
Enrollment

720 students in 2024-25, +1.1% over five years while the regional peer median moved −4.0%.

Achievement

Forward Exam results average −0.57 (ELA) and −0.81 (math) on a z scale over the last three tested years, where 0 is the average Wisconsin district. ACT composite: 20.1 against a statewide median of 19.2.

Spending

$18,438 total cost per member in 2024-25, below the regional peer median of $18,754 and above the statewide median of $18,324.

Taxes

The school tax rate is 7.00 mills (2025-26), against a statewide K-12 median of 6.90; the 2025-26 levy is $3.7M, 28% of it referendum-approved debt.

Revenue limit

$11,686 per member under the state revenue limit, against a statewide K-12 median of $13,575; the district has never asked voters to exceed the limit.

Glenwood City enrolled 720 students in 2024-25 (September membership). Since 2009-10 its enrollment has fallen 3%; the median regional peer shrank 6% and the median Wisconsin district shrank 12%. The chart indexes each series to its 2009-10 level. Private schools inside the district's boundaries enroll 1.1% of school-age children (2014-15), against 10.0% in the median district.

Glenwood CityRegional peers (median)Wisconsin (median district)
1061019691852009-102013-142017-182024-25

Students, 2025-26

Student group2025-262020-21Median WI district
Students with disabilities20.5%17.5%16.6%
English learners1.0%1.2%2.4%
Economically disadvantaged38.3%40.1%36.7%
White90.3%90.9%85.3%
Hispanic4.3%3.8%6.8%
Two or More2.6%2.8%3.9%
Asian2.0%1.7%0.9%
Black0.7%0.8%1.0%
Amer Indian0.2%—0.4%

Community (ACS 2024)

MeasureGlenwood CityMedian WI district
Median household income$83,333$77,317
Poverty rate7.0%8.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or more19.6%25.4%
Households with children26.8%25.9%
Residents 65 and older20.0%20.5%
Median home value$295,600$241,800

Home values against nearby districts

Across the five most recent Census releases (2016–20 to 2020–24), the median owner-occupied home in Glenwood City averaged $243,340, 12% above the median of the 12 districts within 25 miles ($216,860). That ranks 4th of 13 in the area and at the 66th percentile of Wisconsin districts (state median $205,920).

ACS 5-year releaseGlenwood CityNearby medianDifferenceWisconsin median
2016–20$194,700$172,300+13%$172,200
2017–21$223,200$188,850+18%$182,750
2018–22$246,100$222,850+10%$210,250
2019–23$257,100$237,550+8%$227,050
2020–24$295,600$260,750+13%$241,800
Five-release average$243,340$216,860+12%$205,920

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, median value of owner-occupied homes (table B25077), in nominal dollars. Consecutive releases share four of their five survey years, so the average is a smoothed level rather than five independent years. Nearby districts are those whose NCES office address lies within 25 miles of Glenwood City's: Saint Croix Central (15 mi, $293,880); New Richmond (19 mi, $276,640); Baldwin-Woodville Area (12 mi, $244,700); Spring Valley (16 mi, $241,240); Turtle Lake (24 mi, $225,720); Clear Lake (14 mi, $221,580); Menomonie Area (15 mi, $212,140); Clayton (19 mi, $208,340); Colfax (21 mi, $206,620); Elmwood (19 mi, $195,180); Boyceville Community (6 mi, $184,700); Prairie Farm Public (15 mi, $155,960).

Enrollment and the funding count

Wisconsin's revenue limit, which caps what a district may raise from general state aid and the property tax combined, is set per member using a three-year rolling average of membership: each September's full-time-equivalent count plus 40% of summer-school FTE. Glenwood City's revenue-limit membership for 2025-26 is 696.

School yearEnrolled studentsRevenue-limit membershipPer enrolled student
2020-216996920.99
2021-227126830.96
2022-237186820.95
2023-247236920.96
2024-257206970.97
2025-26—696—

DPI revenue limit worksheets (three-year average membership) and DPI September membership. Years without a membership count show a dash.

In spring 2025, 45% of Glenwood City students met or exceeded Forward standards in ELA and 46% in math, against 54% and 57% in the median Wisconsin district.

On a z scale, which puts every year on the same footing across the 2023-24 rescaling, Glenwood City averaged −0.57 in ELA and −0.81 in math over the last three tested years, against +0.40 and +0.41 in its first three years on file.

Glenwood CityRegional peers (median)Average Wisconsin district (0)

ELA

+1.00+0.51+0.02−0.47−0.962015-162019-202024-25

Math

+0.72+0.26−0.20−0.66−1.122015-162019-202024-25

Wisconsin rescaled the Forward Exam in 2023-24. Z-scores standardize each year's result against every comparable district that year (0 = the average district; +1 = one standard deviation above), so years on either side of a test or cut-score change can be compared. Testing was canceled in spring 2020.

Attendance, ACT, college-going and discipline

MeasureGlenwood CityRegional peersWisconsin medianYear
Attendance rate95.0%94.4%94.3%2024-25
Chronic absenteeism8.3%10.2%10.9%2024-25
ACT composite (grade 11)20.118.019.22024-25
Enrolled in college the first fall100.0%100.0%100.0%2024-25
Suspensions and expulsions per 1,00033.031.133.02024-25

DPI WISEdash files. Chronic absenteeism = share of students missing 10% or more of enrolled days.

Glenwood City's total cost per member was $18,438 in 2024-25, against $18,754 for the median regional peer and $18,324 for the median Wisconsin district. Local property tax paid for 29% of revenue, against 38% statewide.

Glenwood CityRegional peers (median)Wisconsin (median district)
$19,688$17,274$14,860$12,446$10,0322006-072010-112014-152018-192024-25

The revenue limit allows $11,686 per member for 2025-26, below the statewide K-12 median of $13,575 and below the regional peer median of $12,054. The limit counts general state aid and the property tax together, so state aid changes move the levy rather than total revenue. It has never asked voters to exceed the limit.

Glenwood CityRegional peers (median)Wisconsin (median district)
$14,201$12,585$10,969$9,352$7,7362005-062009-102013-142017-182021-222025-26

Total district cost per member and revenue shares: DPI comparative cost data. Revenue limit: DPI revenue limit worksheets; statewide comparison is K-12 districts only.

The district's 2025-26 levy is $3.7M, at a rate of 7.00 mills per $1,000 of equalized value (statewide K-12 median 6.90). 28% of the levy repays referendum-approved debt (Fund 39).

Levy yearTotal levyGeneral fund (Fund 10)Referendum debt (Fund 39)Mill rate
2020-21$2.8M$1.7M$0.7M9.49
2021-22$2.6M$1.4M$0.7M8.01
2022-23$2.6M$1.2M$0.7M6.91
2023-24$3.5M$2.2M$0.7M8.12
2024-25$3.5M$2.5M$0.7M7.43
2025-26$3.7M$2.3M$1.0M7.00
Glenwood CityRegional peers (median)Wisconsin (median district)
11.7610.388.997.606.222006-072010-112014-152018-192025-26

The median residential property-tax bill inside the district, all governments, was $2,259 in 2025 (statewide median $2,766). The full bill on the median home comes to 2.6% of median household income, and the school portion on that home ($295,600) is about $2,196.

Property tax on the median home, by taxing authority, payable 2026

A home at Glenwood City's median value, about $416,000 at the current assessment, owes roughly $4,930 in property tax for taxes payable 2026. The school district's part is $2,910 (53% before credits); the rest goes to the county, the city, village or town, the technical college district and special districts such as sanitary and lake districts, less the state's school levy tax credit. That bill is $670 more than the average regional peer's median home.

Taxing authorityGlenwood CityRegional peers (average)
School district$2,910 53%$2,370 50%
Technical college$120 2%$130 3%
County$1,200 22%$1,100 23%
City, village or town$1,240 23%$970 21%
Special districts$0 0%$150 3%
State school levy tax credit−$550−$450
Total$4,930$4,260
Median home value$416,000$347,000

Each column is the tax on that district's own median home; peer columns average the districts in the group. The percentage is each authority's share of the bill before credits.

The same $416,000 home at each group's tax rates

Holding the house constant separates tax rates from home values. Taxed at Glenwood City's rates the home owes $4,930; at the regional peers' rates it would owe $5,110 on average.

Taxing authorityGlenwood CityRegional peers (average)
School district$2,910 53%$2,820 50%
Technical college$120 2%$150 3%
County$1,200 22%$1,340 24%
City, village or town$1,240 23%$1,160 20%
Special districts$0 0%$180 3%
State school levy tax credit−$550−$540
Total$4,930$5,110
Tax as a share of home value1.19%1.23%

Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Town, Village and City Taxes, 2025 levies (taxes payable 2026): each taxing body's levy over the full value it is spread on. The school rate is the district's own levy over its equalized value; county, municipal, technical college and special-district rates are averages over the towns, villages and cities the district covers, weighted by its value in each, so a home in any one of them pays somewhat more or less. The school levy tax credit is the state-paid credit DOR spreads by municipality; the lottery and gaming credit and first dollar credit, applied per parcel, are not included. Median home value: Census ACS 2024 5-year median for owner-occupied homes, brought to January 1, 2025 values by the change in the district's TIF-out equalized value since 2022. The parcel-based median bill above runs lower because it covers every residential parcel, including vacant lots, condominiums and smaller homes, and is net of the per-parcel credits.

Levy by fund and equalized value: DPI and Department of Revenue. Typical bill: parcel-level residential bills inside the district boundary; school portion applies the school mill rate to the ACS median home value and is an estimate.

Voters have decided 6 referendum questions since 1996 and approved 4. All were capital questions; the district has never asked voters to exceed the limit.

ElectionTypePurposeAmountYesResult
Apr 2015CapitalIssue Debt: For the purpose of paying the cost of improved air quality and energy effic...$4.5M65.8%Passed
Apr 2015CapitalIssue Debt: Purpose of paying the cost of improvements to the school district's buildin...$4.7M79.5%Passed
Apr 2011Capitalcost of improvements to school district buildings, facilities and grounds including hea...$6.0M48.3%Failed
May 2000Capitalconstruct/equip elementary classroom addition$1.1M47.5%Failed
May 2000Capitalbuilding improvements, maintenance, repair, remodeling, equip acquisitions$2.0M62.0%Passed
Oct 1996CapitalRemodeling and Renovation$2.0M64.5%Passed

DPI referenda file, 1993 onward.

88% of Glenwood City's teachers stayed in the district into 2025-26, against 90% for the median regional peer and 91% statewide; 0% left Wisconsin public schools. Average teacher salary was $56,091, against $60,189 for the median peer and $61,273 statewide.

Glenwood CityRegional peers (median)Wisconsin (median district)
103%95%86%77%69%2016-172018-192020-212022-232024-25

Staff by role, 2016-17 to 2025-26

RoleHeadcount, firstHeadcount, lastChangePeer median change
Administrators46+50%+15%
Teachers4849+2%+4%
Aides/Paraprofessionals1315+15%+37%
Pupil Services440%+36%
Other3748+30%+4%

DPI All Staff files: distinct people by role. Peer median change across the regional peers.

DPI All Staff files, person-level, linked year to year.

Wherever this briefing sets Glenwood City beside other districts, it uses the group below. A group figure is the middle value across its members (the property-tax tables on the median home use the average instead), each counted equally, so one large member cannot dominate it.

Regional peers 12 districts

The 12 Wisconsin districts of the same type most like Glenwood City on four measures: distance and CESA (30% of the weight), total cost per member (30%), the Census child poverty rate (25%) and locale, meaning city, suburb, town or rural (15%). Districts under 400 students are not eligible.

DistrictCountyCESALocaleMiles awayEnrollmentCost per member
Boyceville CommunityDunn11Rural9712$17,055
Baldwin-Woodville AreaSaint Croix11Rural101,683$16,376
Clear LakePolk11Rural11561$19,137
New RichmondSaint Croix11Town153,628$19,493
Spring ValleyPierce11Rural16742$17,824
Menomonie AreaDunn11Rural193,611$14,701
AmeryPolk11Rural201,335$21,603
ColfaxDunn11Rural22750$16,056
Barron AreaBarron11Rural251,289$19,316
Turtle LakeBarron11Rural25441$19,383
UnityPolk11Rural321,040$18,785
CameronBarron11Rural35899$18,723

“Wisconsin median” is the middle value across Wisconsin districts; property-tax and revenue-limit comparisons use K-12 districts only, because elementary and union high school districts overlap the same territory.