This midterm season, five Milwaukee-area school districts are among dozens across Wisconsin asking voters to increase their property taxes to send more money to schools.
There will be 79 different school referendum questions across the state.
Locally, Whitefish Bay and Greenfield are asking voters to weigh in on referenda, along with the School District of Brown Deer, School District of Elmbrook and the Oconomowoc Area School District.
Many of these school referenda are in response to state funding constraints.
Public schools in Wisconsin are funded primarily through a combination of state aid and local property taxes. Both are capped by the state through revenue limits, and these limits have not kept pace with inflation.
Here's a roundup of the school referenda and what voters should know ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3:
Brown Deer 2026 school referendum: What to know before you vote
All registered voters in Brown Deer will be able to weigh in on two referendum questions.
One seeks to raise $2.8 million per year for five years for operational needs such as staff salaries. The second seeks to raise $35 million to fund building repairs, safety and accessibility upgrades, and improvements to community spaces.
The questions
- Question one: "Shall the School District of Brown Deer, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $2,800,000 per year for five years, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year and ending with the 2030-2031 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational and maintenance expenses, including teacher and staff compensation?"
- Question two: "Shall the School District of Brown Deer, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $35,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school facility improvement project consisting of: district-wide capital maintenance, building infrastructure, energy efficiency and accessibility improvements, including elevator replacement and playground renovations at the Elementary School; renovations at the Middle/High School, including to classrooms, the auditorium, pool and locker rooms; site improvements, including replacing the track and adding turf to the field at the Middle/High School; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?
The cost
- Question one: The school district's tax rate would increase by $10 per $100,000 of property value every year for the next five years.
- Question two: The tax rate would increase by $82 per $100,000 of property value next year.
If both referendums are approved, the total property tax mill rate will change by $92 per $100,00 of property value. A homeowner of a $400,000 home would pay $368 more in property taxes next year.
What's at stake
- Question one: The school district says it needs additional funds to increase educator and staff compensation, fund academic programs and student services, reduce elementary class sizes and adjust for rising operating costs. Brown Deer's teachers are among the lowest paid in the area, which the district says makes it hard to recruit new educators.
- Question two: The district says it will remediate asbestos in the ceiling tiles of its elementary school, which was built in 1967. It will also add an ADA-accessible elevator to the school and upgrade the building's boiler, windows and parking lot. The district's middle/high school needs HVAC upgrades, changes to its pool, updated classrooms and repairs to its roof.
More information: The district has a website to answer questions about the referendum and is hosting an information session at 5 p.m. on Oct. 21 at the Brown Deer Elementary School library (5757 W Dean Road in Brown Deer).
Elmbrook 2026 school referendum: What to know before you vote
All registered voters in Elmbrook will be able to weigh in on the referendum question, which seeks to raise $100 million for upgrades to four schools built between 1958 and 1969.
The question
"Shall the School District of Elmbrook, Waukesha County, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $100,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school facility improvement project at Pilgrim Park Middle School, Tonawanda Elementary School, Swanson Elementary School and Wisconsin Hills Middle School consisting of: renovations, accessibility updates, building infrastructure and site improvements; construction of additions at Pilgrim Park Middle School; construction of an addition at Tonawanda Elementary School; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?”
The cost
The school district's tax rate would be raised by $11 per $100,000 of property value. The tax impact to a home valued $524,000 (the average in Elmbrook) would be $57.
What's at stake
The school district says it will use the money to upgrade four schools built more than 57 years ago: Pilgrim Park Middle, Tonawanda Elementary, Swanson Elementary and Wisconsin Hills Middle. The proposed projects include classroom upgrades, accessibility upgrades, replacing open-concept layouts, changes to the school parking lots and drop-off areas, and updating robotics, woods, art, and technology classrooms to meet curriculum standards
The district's website has a school-by-school list of projects here.
More information: The district is hosting upcoming information sessions on the referendum
- Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. at the district's central office (3555 N Calhoun Road in Brookfield)
- Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. at the district's central office
- Every Saturday at the Brookfield Farmer's Market at Brookfield Central High School (16900 Gebhardt Road in Brookfield)
Oconomowoc 2026 school referendum: What to know before you vote
All registered voters in Oconomowoc will be able to weigh in on an operational referendum that would raise $12.2 million over the next five years.
The question
"Shall the Oconomowoc Area School District, Waukesha, Jefferson and Dodge Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $3,000,000 for the 2027-2028 school year; by an additional $2,000,000 (for a total of $5,000,000) for the 2028-2029 school year; by an additional $2,000,000 (for a total of $7,000,000) for the 2029-2030 school year; by an additional $2,500,000 (for a total of $9,500,000) for the 2030-2031 school year; and by an additional $2,700,000 for the 2031-2032 school year (for a total of $12,200,000 and to remain at that amount thereafter), for recurring purposes consisting of operational and maintenance expenses?"
The cost
The school district calculates that approving the referendum would cost a homeowner of a $400,000 home between $23 and $50 more per year each year for the next four years.
It has released this range of numbers instead of a set tax impact because its estimated tax rate for next year is $0.14 less than this current year. That lower rate is due to an anticipated increase in property values and a decrease in debt service obligations, according to the district.
The district's website has more information about how Oconomowoc taxpayers' bills will change if the referendum is approved.
What's at stake
The district argues that it needs the operational referendum to close its expected $3 million budget deficit due to state funding that is not keeping pace with inflation. The money would be used to maintain current class sizes, support the district's career pathway opportunities, maintain academic and career course offerings and compete for staff.
If the referendum fails, the district expects to deal with a budget deficit each year for the next five years. That would likely result in increasing class sizes and a reducing programs and services at the intermediate schools and high school.
More information: The district's website has more information, and staff will be holding a public information session at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 at Oconomowoc High School (641 E. Forest Street).
For more information on school referenda in Greenfield and Whitefish Bay, check out WUWM's previous education reporting.
