Update: Racine voters approved an increase to property taxes that will raise $190 million over five years to help cover the day-to-day expenses of running Racine Unified School District campuses.
Voters in the Racine Unified School District will weigh in on April 1 on a referendum question that aims to raise $190 million over five years to help cover the day-to-day expenses of running local schools.
The referendum would raise property taxes by $35 for every $100,000 of property value to pay for salaries, educational programs and supplies.
The latest effort comes as dozens of school districts across the state are appealing to voters to help close gaps in budgets, resulting in more than 90 referendum questions planned for ballots across Wisconsin this spring.
In Racine, school district officials say a $3,300 per-student gap is caused by state funding that has not kept up with rising inflation.
Here's what to know about Racine's 2025 schools referendum:
What is the question on the ballot?
The question will ask voters to raise property taxes to raise $190 million for schools over five years.
The question reads:
"Shall the Racine Unified School District, Racine County, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $26,000,000 for the 2025-2026 school year, by $30,000,000 for the 2026-2027 school year, by $38,000,000 for the 2027-2028 school year, by $46,000,000 for the 2028-2029 school year, and by $50,000,000 for the 2029-2030 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational expenses, including for educational programs, school safety and security, and staff compensation?"
What will Racine schools use the money for?
The district says the money is needed to handle the operation costs of running the district, including:
- Paying teacher salaries and hiring and retaining more teachers to keep class sizes low
- Funding the Academies of Racine and college preparatory programs such as AP, IB and dual credit
- Hiring school safety and event safety staff
- Bringing in more literacy coaches
If the referendum is not approved by voters, the district says it will be forced to make budget cuts.
"The biggest impact would be to staffing, as staff are the district's biggest expense," according to the district's website.
How much will my taxes go up?
If voters approve the referendum, it would raise property taxes by $35 per year for every $100,000 of equalized property value.
For example, the owner of a home worth $200,000 would see a property tax increase of $70. That increase would end after five years.
Didn't Racine just approve a schools referendum in 2020?
Yes. Racine voters approved an increase to property taxes in 2020. The referendum passed by just five votes.
That funding can only be used to support the district's capital program, which is responsible for building and maintaining school facilities. The 2025 referendum is for operating expenses rather than capital costs.
Where can I find more information?
The school district's website includes more information on the referendum, including informational videos about how local schools are funded.
Katherine Kokal is the education reporter at 89.7 WUWM - Milwaukee's NPR. Have a question about schools or an education story idea? You can reach her at kokal@uwm.edu.
