APPLETON (NBC 26) — Appleton property taxpayers could soon get a clearer picture of where their money is going after the Common Council voted 13-1 to support a resolution calling for private school voucher funding to be shown on property tax bills.
The resolution aims to give residents more information about how much of the school district's property tax levy is used to offset state funding for private school voucher programs.
But while the vote drew overwhelming support, not everyone agreed on how the city should move forward.
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Alderperson Sheri Hartzheim cast the lone dissenting vote, though she emphasized that her opposition was not to the information appearing on tax bills.
"I'm supportive of allowing this to be put on tax bills, but I'm not supportive of this resolution," Hartzheim said.
According to Hartzheim, Mayor Jake Woodford had already been moving forward with plans to include the information, regardless of whether the council approved the resolution.
That led her to question the purpose of the council's action.
"I see this resolution as something that is more of a political ploy… more of an action to gin up public negative sentiment against the voucher program," Hartzheim said.
The debate comes as school voucher funding continues to draw attention across Wisconsin, raising questions about how taxpayer dollars are distributed and how much information residents should see on their bills.
For Appleton resident Suzanne Wallersheim, the voucher program has made a meaningful difference for her family.
Four of her five grandchildren attend private schools through the program, an opportunity she says would otherwise be financially out of reach.
"They could never afford to go to a private school," Wallersheim said.
And Appleton isn't the only Fox Cities community looking to provide taxpayers with more information.
The Neenah Joint School District Board of Education has also asked the five municipalities within its district — the cities of Neenah and Menasha, the towns of Neenah and Clayton, and the village of Fox Crossing — to include information about private school voucher funding on property tax bills.
The requests reflect a broader push for transparency about how public education is funded, even as questions remain about how that information should be presented.
For Wallersheim, the impact of the proposed change will become clearer when tax bills arrive.
"We'll have to wait and see on our tax bill... where our money is going," she said.
While supporters of the resolution say the additional information would help taxpayers better understand where their money goes, critics question whether highlighting voucher funding separately provides a complete picture of education spending.
