Voters in southeastern Wisconsin appeared mixed on whether to increase their taxes for their local school districts.
A referendum that would have led to the construction of a new middle school in Whitefish Bay failed, while operating referendums in Glendale-River Hills and in Lake Country both passed.
Here's what to know about each school referendum and what happens next:
Whitefish Bay voters reject capital referendum
In Whitefish Bay, voters denied $67.7 million, single-year referendum to build a new middle school. Around 47% of those who cast a ballot supported the measure.
The referendum's failure means that Whitefish Bay will not be able to build a new middle school. The referendum was one of the most expensive in the state: The district asked voters to increase their property taxes by $260 for every $100,000 of assessed property value.
Community members who opposed the referendum raised concerns about the costs for seniors earning fixed incomes and criticized the district for proposing a capital project instead of paying teachers more money.
Lake Country school district approves referendum, may begin consolidation
In Lake Country, voters approved a referendum that will raise $3.2 million over the next four years while the district decides whether and how to combine with nearby K-8 districts. Unofficial results show 64% of voters approved the referendum.
That Lake Country referendum was particularly important, because the district was on the verge of dissolution.
The district in Waukesha County is one of the pre K-8 school districts that feeds Arrowhead Union High School. District administrator Chad Schraufnagel said they’ve already had to cut certain music and language programs to manage spending.
He said the school district’s funds would have run out after next school year if not for the referendum.
Reached Tuesday night after results came in, Schraufnagel said he was grateful to his community for showing up to support the small district.
“I think it was a great win for kids tonight," he said. "It gives us an opportunity to try and provide a good future. The work continues. We now have time to, as I said, plan strategically.”
He says the district will start addressing possible consolidation with other districts this summer.
"We have stated that we are open to consolidation. There’s a lot of work that goes into it," he said. "You have to go through a process and we will start working on that throughout the summer and into the next school year.”
Glendale-River Hills voters approve higher property taxes for local schools
In Glendale-River Hills, voters approved a $5 million ask to cover operating costs for the next four years. Fifty-nine percent voted in favor.
That money will be used to cover operational costs, such as continuing certain educational programs like Tech Ed, STEAM, music and world language courses. The district will also reduce class sizes, upgrade technology in schools and maintain Parkway Elementary and Glen Hills Middle School.
Why are so many school districts in Wisconsin asking for higher property taxes?
More than 70 school districts across the state asked voters to approve school referendums on Tuesday.
Voters are seeing more referendum efforts because the majority of public school funding is restricted by revenue limits – essentially property tax caps that decide how much money a district can spend per student.
In 2009, Wisconsin’s Legislature and governor agreed to stop adjusting revenue limits for inflation.
Now, the amount of funding districts are getting each year isn’t keeping pace with rising costs. That has led many districts to voter referendums that let them exceed those state-imposed limits.
“I think it's important to keep in mind that these are all local decisions. It’s each local school board going to the voters and asking them to support their schools with additional revenues. Essentially [that] means asking voters to raise their own property taxes," according to Dan Rossmiller, executive director of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.
"It’s never a pleasant task," he added. "It’s not one that school boards take lightly. But it’s one that unfortunately is becoming a necessity in many districts.”
Affordability issues may impact voters' willingness to send more money to schools
Rossmiller said that as voters see their own household costs rise, it may be more difficult for them to justify increasing their own property taxes to send more money to schools. Historically, voters approved around 70% of school referendums.
“The percentage of referendums approved by voters has been trending down in recent years," Rossmiller said. "I think this year will be an interesting test of whether peoples’ concerns about affordability are going to outweigh their support for the schools and the children of their communities.”
Still, he says Tuesday’s preliminary results suggest that people are invested in the success of their local schools.
