Voters within the MHLT School District will see an operational referendum question on the November 3rd Ballot.
It’s the first time in 20 years the district has ask voters about increasing property taxes to help cover the costs of running the district.
MHLT District Administrator Robert Smudde points to a decline in student enrollment, higher prices for vendors, and needed building maintenance as some of the top reasons why the district is going to referendum this November.
“Right now, the revenues are not keeping up with costs,” said Smudde.
Fewer students mean a lower revenue limit and less funds, but it doesn’t mean lower costs.
“You have to have the same amount of money because you're not losing all the students at one area, so you're not losing the need for the staff,” said Smudde. “It costs what it costs for plowing. It costs what it costs to heat the building and clean the building. Those things are fairly set costs, and they go up every year.”
The district has cut costs in recent years by reducing 13 positions, eliminating some post-employment benefits, reduced bus routes, and eliminated free breakfasts and raised meal prices for its food service.
Smudde says if the referendum fails, they’ll continue down this path.
“At some point, it's going to take away some of the programs that we've worked very hard to create, such as our 3K program, our tech ed program, our STEAM program, our outdoor ed program,” said Smudde. “They're all wonderful things to have, but at the end of the day, they're nice to have, and they would probably go away if we would not be able to fund our school because we still have to do the basics of what the state requires us. None of those things I just mentioned are required by the state.”
The district is asking voters if they approve $3.5 million reoccurring referendum to cover increased operational costs and building maintenance that’s been put off.
That comes out to $132 annual increase for homes valued at $200,000.
“We want to be able to provide the best education possible for our students,” said Smudde. “When they are leaving here, I want them to be prepared to move forward at the highest level possible. Everybody wants the best for their kid, and that's what we want to have for our students here.”
This is how the question appears on the ballot:
Shall the Joint School District Number 1, Towns of Minocqua, Hazelhurst and Lake Tomahawk, Oneida County, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $3,500,000 beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, for recurring purposes consisting of operational expenses, maintenance expenses, and debt service for capital improvements?
Voters are welcome to tour the school Thursday, October 22 from 4-7 p.m. to learn more about the district and ask questions.
“A lot of the people are voting and have never stepped into our building, and we wanted to be able to have them see what we're saying,” said Smudde. “You can hear me talk about it all you want, but when you go and see it, it has a different resonance with people, and maybe they can understand a little better about where they see the tax dollars going."
You can learn more about the referendum here.
It is becoming more common for districts to turn to voters to help cover operational costs for schools.
In 2024, a record 148 operating referendum questions were posed to Wisconsin voters.
