Voters Approve 51 of 81 School Referenda During Tuesday's Election

Friday, November 11th, 2022 -- 11:00 AM

(By Gaby Vinick, Wisconsin Public Radio) Scores of voters in Wisconsin and across the country watched the politically divided state reelect Democrat Gov. Tony Evers and Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.

According to Gaby Vinick with Wisconsin Public Radio, but beyond those high-profile races, people in communities around the state were also focused on referendum results for their local school districts.

Statewide, 51 of the 81 school referenda were approved by voters, while some districts were still counting votes Wednesday afternoon, according to the state Department of Public Instruction.

In all, residents in those communities were asked to approve $1.93 billion in spending on programs ranging from efforts to retain and recruit high-quality educators, to new construction projects and capital and operating budgets.

Voters in 42 districts were asked to raise revenue limits for their schools. Earlier this year, there were 50 additional referenda, bringing the total to 92 statewide in 2022.

That was the highest number of referendums on the ballot in over two decades, which was no surprise for Dan Rossmiller, director of government relations for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.

Rossmiller pointed to the last state budget, which froze district revenue limits. Although the Legislature increased general school aid by $706 million, the revenue cap meant that money went toward lowering the property tax burden for residents rather than toward school funding.

He said state leaders also failed to increase per pupil categorical aid, another means of state-sponsored financial support for school districts.

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