More than half of school district referendums pass on Nov. 3
With Democratic control of the state government coming in January, public education funding is expected to be a top priority
Wisconsin voters approved 45 of 79 school district referendums on Tuesday.
That included, in northeast Wisconsin, school districts in Brillion, Little Chute, West De Pere, Green Bay, Marinette, and Sturgeon Bay.
The approved operational referendum of $2 million over five years for the Little Chute Area School District will supplement the technology budget and help to maintain staffing levels, programs, and services. In addition, a $2 million capital referendum will allow the district to update and upgrade facilities, including renovating bathrooms and replacing the roof of the building that houses grades 5-12.
Voters in the Brillion School District passed a referendum allowing the district to exceed the revenue limit for operations by $1 million for each of the next five years. A similar referendum failed to pass in the spring.
Voters did not approve referendums for Seymour, Gillett, and Pulaski. A complete list of school referendums and results can be viewed on the Wisconsin DPI website.
In a press release, Dr. Jill Underly, Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction, said, “With nearly 80 referendum questions on the ballot, voters across the state had to choose whether to increase property taxes just so their local schools can keep the lights on, pay their teachers, and continue providing a quality education to children in their communities.”
Nearly two-thirds of Wisconsin's 421 districts have had to rely on at least one referendum since 2023. School districts cite a lack of state funding and advocate for a change to the current school funding formula. The current formula, decoupled from inflation 15 years ago, has left public school funding well behind inflation, prompting referendums in nearly every district in Wisconsin.
"The school funding formula is broken, and it has failed our children, our schools, and entire communities for decades,” said Underly. “Wisconsin’s public schools cannot continue to rely on referendums to provide the educational opportunities all students deserve.”
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is preparing a school funding proposal tied to inflation and would raise low-spending districts to the state average. The proposal is expected to include a weighted system to provide necessary funding for students who are English learners or are economically disadvantaged. The special education reimbursement rate is a high priority for school districts and will be addressed in the funding proposal. Currently special education reimbursement is just 35 percent.
The DPI proposal will be part of the 2027-29 state budget process and will be considered by the Joint Finance Committee, soon to be led by Democrats. The goal is to have the Biennial Budget passed by the end of June 2027.
Long before the next Biennial Budget is approved, school districts will have some major decisions to make. As early as January 2027, districts must decide whether or not to place a referendum question on the spring ballot and what to cut if those referendums fail.
More than half of school district referendums pass on Nov. 3 © 2026 by Carol Lenz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
