HUSTISFORD, Wis. — The Hustisford School District is taking steps to dissolve after voters rejected an operational referendum, leaving the district in a precarious position.
The district, which serves about 240 students in grades K-12, faces a $1.6 million deficit. The referendum would have helped the district stay afloat or consolidate for the next two years.
Watch: Parents and staff grapple with heartbreak as Hustisford Schools face closure after failed referendum
Without the funding, summer school is canceled, and the school will be empty by the 2026-2027 school year, according to interim superintendent Todd Bugnacki.
“Those words are difficult words to say, you know, and we want to make certain that our kids have the best pathway forward. We want to make certain our staff are taken care of as we transition through this, you know, uncharted territory,” Bugnacki said.
Parents and staff had an emotional day after election night. Nathan Dorn has two kids in the district.
"It was a lot of tears this morning," Dorn said. “Our kids cried. And I've heard from other parents whose kids cry because they're scared. They don't know they don't know where they're going to go."
Bugnacki said there is still potential for students to stay together, but there will be staff cuts.
“Our goal is to partner with a local district, if possible, and to figure out a way in which we can tuition our kids into that district for the year so we can keep families together and keep friends together, keep neighbors together,” Bugnacki said.
As parents and staff worry for the students, they also worry about the future of the Hustisford community without a school.
"I really don't know," Dorn said. “I don't know how anyone can consciously make that as the right decision to just say, 'forget the kids, forget the staff. Just close the doors tomorrow, turn the thermostats off, and send the kids somewhere else.'"
“We're just scratching the surface of what it feels like. But the culture, the feel, the vibe of a community, changes,” Bugnacki said.
Bugnacki said the district is working with attorneys and local and state officials to find a path forward.
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