Many schools in the area rely on voter-passed referendums.
Operational referendums are meant to cover budget gaps between what a district gets from the state and what it takes to maintain current levels of operation.
In Price County, the Prentice School District is asking voters to approve a $1.2 million operational referendum for four-years non-recurring.
It would cover the operational and maintenance expenses like student programming, facility maintenance, and staff salaries. You can learn more about what the funding would support on the district website.
The White Lake School District in Langlade County is projecting a budget shortfall of around $5 to $5.4 million between 2025 and 2030 without an operational referendum.
It’s asking voters to consider passing a $1.1 million per year for five years through a non-reoccurring referendum to address these operational needs.
If passed, it would begin next school year.
Also in Langlade County, The Antigo School District is asking voters if they approve a capital referendum.
The $54 million would cover facility and infrastructure needs in the district like fixing water damage and safety concerns in the elementary schools as well as health and safety risks in the middle and high schools. You can learn more about what it would cover on the district website.
An April report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum found Wisconsin voters in February and April cast ballots for 103 school district referenda, approving 62 of them.
That 60% approval rate was the lowest in a midterm or presidential election year since 2010.
You can learn more about what’s on your ballot for the Nov. 5th general election with the WXPR Voter Guide.
