Thursday, October 29, 2026
CVTC District Board Approves Levy; Tax Rate Decreases
The Chippewa Valley Technical College District Board approved the College's 2026–2027 fiscal year tax rate and levy on Wednesday, with the tax rate decreasing to approximately 62 cents per $1,000 of property value.
The tax rate is down from 64 cents per $1,000 of property value in 2025-2026.
Growth across the district has helped make the lower tax rate possible. Net new construction increased by 1.41 percent in the CVTC district, which includes parts of 11 counties, and overall property values increased nearly 7.9 percent.
The District Board also approved a total tax levy of $30,767,570 for 2026-2027, an increase of $1,460,483, or 4.98 percent, from $29,307,087 in 2025-2026. The increase reflects continued growth in operating expenses, including debt service costs.
"Wisconsin technical colleges have operated under state-imposed revenue limits for more than a decade. Since 2014, property tax revenue growth has generally been limited to growth from net new construction within a district, while operating costs have continued to rise," said Caleb Cornelius, CVTC vice president of administration and chief strategy officer.
As a result, technical colleges have had limited ability to increase local revenue even as the costs of delivering education and operating facilities have continued to rise.
CVTC has responded by identifying efficiencies, building partnerships and working to keep tuition affordable for students.
Although the total levy is increasing, the tax rate per $1,000 of property value is decreasing. For example, the owner of a $150,000 home would pay approximately $93.23 annually in property taxes to support CVTC under the new rate.
The CVTC board is required to certify its levy by October 31 each year.
