What Wausau School District voters need to know about a $40 million operational referendum

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25-03-2025

WAUSAU – Voters in the Wausau School District will see a non-recurring operational referendum for $40 million over five years on their April 1 ballots.
If approved, the referendum would result in a zero percent change in the district's mill rate, according to the district's referendum information website. A zero percent change is possible because the school board previously voted to prepay on debt payments, known as debt defeasance, which reduced future debt service payments.
The school district is facing a $3.7 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 school year despite efforts such as reducing its elementary school footprint, reducing staff, and other cost-saving measures.
Here's what else you need to know.
A combination of factors including increasing costs due to inflation, an outdated school funding formula, and limited state aid to public schools has resulted in the projected $3.7 million budget deficit, according to the district website.
Wisconsin public school districts are primarily funded by a mix of local taxes and state aid. A limit on revenue the district may receive from these funding sources was set in 1993 and has not kept pace with increasing costs and inflation, according to the district website.
If the state aid portion of revenue had kept up with inflation since 2009, Wausau School District would receive $3,380 more per student for the 2024-25 school year, according to the district website.
The district lists several cost-saving measures taken in recent years. They include:
Reduction of more than 25 full-time equivalent employees in 2024
Staff salary increases below recent change in the Consumer Price Index
Flat budgets for buildings, departments and capital maintenance
Reduction of elementary school footprint by closing three schools and converting one to a dedicated west-side 4K Academy
The district would mitigate the budget deficit, maintain and enhance educational programming for students, attract and retain district staff, address maintenance projects such as roof repairs, heating, ventilation and air conditioning updates and upgrade mass communication, cameras and energy efficiency across the district.
One high-priority upgrade if the referendum is approved would be air conditioning for Franklin and John Marshall elementary schools, Cale Bushman, superintendent, told a Wausau Daily Herald reporter in February.
Voters most recently approved a $119.8 million capital improvement referendum in 2022. The approved money was used for to remodel and build additions at the two middle and two high school buildings, and Riverview, South Mountain and Stettin elementary schools. It also funded the construction of the School Forest Environmental Learning Center.
District voters rejected capital improvement referenda in November 2020 and April 2021 that included plans for consolidating elementary schools. Voters also rejected a November 2020 $3 million recurring operational referendum for pupil services and operational and maintenance expenses. An April 2021 $4 million recurring operational referendum to support educational programs and operational expenses was approved by voters.
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Operational referenda differ from capital improvement referenda. Operational referenda generally finance day-to-day costs such as wages and benefits for staff, classroom supplies, transportation and other operating costs, according to the district website. Capital improvement referenda generally fund large building or grounds projects or improvements.
Operational referenda are often referred to as 'recurring' or 'non-recurring.' A recurring referendum approves an increase to the district's levy limit indefinitely, while a non-recurring referendum raises the levy limit for a set number of years.
In November's general election, voters in 79 Wisconsin school districts considered recurring referenda, or 19% of districts statewide. In the last decade, more than half of Wisconsin school districts have raised their revenue limits through approved operational referenda, according to the school district website.
Here is the question that will appear on Wausau School District voters' ballots on April 1: 'Shall the Wausau School District, Marathon County, Wisconsin, be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $8,000,000 per year for five years, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and ending with the 2029-2030 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational expenses and capital maintenance and improvements?'
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK - Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Wausau Schools voters will see a $40M referendum on their April 1 ballots