More than 70 Wisconsin school districts ask voters for $1.6 billion in tax increases
(The Center Square) – Voters across Wisconsin are looking at more than $1 billion in potential local tax increases on their ballots today.
Voting hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and voters…
(The Center Square) – Voters across Wisconsin are looking at more than $1 billion in potential local tax increases on their ballots today.
Voting hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and voters must be in line and remain in line by 8 p.m. to be able to vote.
More than 70 school districts across the state are asking for $1.6 billion in school referendum questions.
Some of those local referendum questions would go toward building new schools, while others would pay for day-to-day operations.
Perhaps the largest school referendum in Wisconsin is in a suburban Milwaukee school district.
The school board in ElmBrook Schools, which covers Elm Grove and Brookfield, would bring in $100 million.
The school says it needs the money to update classrooms, make ADA improvements, and re-work the traffic flow at one middle school.
There is opposition. A group of ElmBrook parents have organized a Vote No coalition.
“Every household in the Elmbrook Schools district will have an extra $700 to put towards groceries, children and grandchildren college funds EVERY single year for the next 20 years!” Sam Huges with the Vote No coalition said. “This $100 million referendum has a true cost much closer to $200 million dollars that we will all have to pay over the next 20 years.”
ElmBrook Schools said the $100 million would be an “investment” in schools that were built as far back as 1958.
“This targeted investment directly aligns with the District’s long-term facility planning effort: building what’s next for the students of tomorrow. By addressing these essential infrastructure needs now, the proposed improvements will ensure safe, functional, and future-ready learning environments for Elmbrook students for the next 40 years,” the school district said in its message to voters.
Today’s 70-plus school referendum questions follow the April election where voters across Wisconsin saw 75 local school questions.
More than 60% of those passed, but there are 16 school districts in Wisconsin that saw their local school question fail in April who are trying again this fall.
