Voters in Whitefish Bay will again be asked to increase funding for the school district when they vote in the midterm election.
The school district is hoping to issue around $90 million in debt to build a new middle school on the site of the existing campus. The new funding would also help the district complete infrastructure, maintenance, fire protection system updates at the high school, and it would allow the district to update the fire protection system at Cumberland and Richards elementary schools.
In April, voters in Whitefish Bay rejected a facilities referendum that would have raised $135 million and authorized the construction of a new middle school slightly south of the existing campus. Voters opposed to that referendum raised concerns about relocating the middle school on the site of an existing veterans' memorial. They also objected to the property tax increase of $260 per $100,000 of fair market value for a home.
This referendum would increase property taxes by $125 per $100,000 of fair market value.
Voters across Wisconsin will face 79 different school referendum questions on their midterm ballots, many of them 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.
The Whitefish Bay School District enrolls 2,861 students across four existing schools: Cumberland and Richards elementary schools, Whitefish Bay Middle School and Whitefish Bay High School.
All registered voters in Whitefish Bay can weigh in on the referendum. In-person absentee voting begins at the Village Hall on Oct. 20.
Didn't Whitefish Bay just have a school referendum?
Yes. The April referendum fell around 300 votes short of the threshold needed to pass. That referendum would have spent $67.7 million building a new middle school and another $67.9 million adding security systems to building entrances, improving drop-off and pick-up areas at the elementary schools, upgrading fire prevention sprinkler systems and replacing HVAC systems, according to the district.
After voters rejected the referendum, the school district says it surveyed 2,100 voters to determine why. Here are the results:
- 86% of respondents said the proposal was too expensive and that the tax increase would be too high
- 40% of respondents said they were concerned about the proposed location of the new middle school at Armory Park.
On Aug. 19, Whitefish Bay's school board unanimously approved placing a $90 million referendum question on the Nov. 3 ballot.
The new referendum would not move the middle school, and would cost taxpayers less than the failed referendum.
What question will be on my ballot?
Here’s the question that will be on the ballot:
"Shall the School District of Whitefish Bay, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $90,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school building and facility improvement project consisting of: construction of additions, renovations, partial removal of the existing building and site improvements at the Middle School on its current site; building infrastructure and capital maintenance improvements at the High School; fire protection and alarm system updates and replacement at the High School, Cumberland and Richards Elementary Schools; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?"
What a yes vote means in Whitefish Bay 2026 school referendum
A “yes” vote would increase property taxes for the next year to raise $90 million for Whitefish Bay Schools.
The referendum would raise taxes by $125 per $100,000 of taxable property value.
The average home value in Whitefish Bay is $685,800, meaning the average property tax increase would be $857 next year.
The district and supporters of the referendum argue that building systems in the century-old schools have reached the end of their serviceable lives, and that the middle school must be rebuilt to meet accessibility, safety and modern educational standards.
"By addressing these needs now, the district can take a proactive, coordinated approach to construction rather than reacting to costly emergency repairs that disrupt learning," the district says on its website.
Voters who petitioned against the April referendum out of concern for the park and veteran's memorial appear to support the November referendum because it would authorize the construction of the new middle school on the existing site.
What a no vote means in Whitefish Bay November 2026 school referendum
A “no” vote would not approve a property tax increase to fund the capital projects.
Critics of the referendum argue that increases to property taxes would worsen the overall cost of living crisis and hit seniors on fixed incomes particularly hard.
But school district leadership says that cuts would be in the future if voters don't approve more funding.
"Because the operational budget is primarily intended for student instruction, staff salaries, and daily programs, diverting these funds to cover large-scale emergency repairs or failing infrastructure would likely require significant cuts to educational programming and services within the next five to 10 years," the district says.
Where can I find more information about Whitefish Bay November 2026 school referendum?
The school district's website includes more information on the referendum.
The district is also holding information sessions:
- 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct.15 in the gym at Whitefish Bay's middle school
- 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2 in the gym at Whitefish Bay's middle school
The school is located at 1144 E. Henry Clay St. #5716, Milwaukee, WI 53217.
Support for WUWM's Voter Guide is provided by Milwaukee Turners.
