District overview
Rio Community School District
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
How is Rio funded and governed?
A five-member elected Board of Education governs Rio's elementary school and combined middle/high school (about 360 students) and works with Superintendent Dr. Michael Lichucki, who also serves as elementary principal. Like all Wisconsin districts, Rio's spending is capped by the state revenue limit, with state aid and local property tax filling the gap; going over the cap needs a voter-approved referendum. The board meets on the third Monday of the month at 5 p.m. in Room 170 of the middle/high school.
Budget cycle
The preliminary budget was on the June 15 and July 20 agendas; the 2026-27 budget hearing and annual meeting were Sept. 21 and the Oct. 19 agenda lists adopting the budget and setting the tax levy.
Possible referendum
Agendas from June to September list a referendum discussion, a facility study session and a community survey. No amount or date is posted.
Other money items
Agendas list long-term financial plans (Feb.), TID closure funds (Feb.) and a financial scorecard.
Who decides
Board page lists Carley Young (president), Tammy Wakeman (vice president), Jordan Noyes (treasurer), Beth Laufenberg (clerk) and Keith Desjarlais.
Only agendas were collected, so this page shows what was scheduled, not what the board decided or what the budget totals are.
Where the district stands
The 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 minutes folders were empty or held only July 2025 items.
Major projects
Safety Enhancement Project and facility study
PlanningWorkshops in Nov. and Dec. 2025 and agenda updates through March led to a facility study recommendation (April) and a facility study session (Aug. 3). Scope and cost are not stated in the collected documents.
- Safety project discussion and potential decision
- Facility study recommendation on agenda
- Facility study information session
Funding
Not stated
A referendum may be linked, but no document says so.
Recent news
View the news feed →Resources
Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.
Explore resources →Based on 22 official board agendas and public notices (Google Drive PDFs linked from the district's Board of Education page), November 2025 to October 2026.
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