WHITEWATER, Wis. — Four Walworth County school districts approached voters with operating referendum requests on the November ballot. Only one of those four referendums was given the green light at the ballot box.
The Whitewater Unified School District's $5.5 million per year funding limit increase request failed by the largest margin. Fifty-two percent of Whitewater voters decided against raising the limit from the previous figure of $4.4 million per year.
Whitewater referendum opponent Henri Kinson said he decided against the measure partially because the school district asked for a $30 million capital referendum last year, which was approved.
"Until they heard the word 'no,' things weren't going to change," Kinson said. "Hopefully, the board takes it upon itself to do a little self-reflection and figure out, 'Boy, we probably should not have come out with a capital referendum and then say we need this for teachers as well.'"
Two other Walworth County school districts' funding requests were also narrowly defeated. Delavan-Darien's $5.5 million annual funding limit increase question was rejected by 51% of voters, while the Woods School's $4.5 million referendum failed by just one vote.
Additionally, East Troy's $4 million annual operating referendum request was rejected during the April primary elections.
Woods School board president Eric Chapman explained to TMJ4 why so many Wisconsin school districts are approaching voters with funding referendum requests.
"Just to maintain what you're doing as a school — paying staff, keeping the lights on, educating your students — you just cannot keep funding based on just what the state dictates you get on the funding formula alone," Chapman said. "It's explaining calculus, it's not explaining simple addition."
While Kinson opposed the $5.5 million-per-year Whitewater referendum, he said he would wholeheartedly support extending the school district's funding limit increase at the current rate of $4.4 million-per-year.
"The alternative is too dark, to go from $4.4 million to zero," Kinson said. "If I was a betting man, I'd say it would probably pass in April, but if it doesn't, the district is in really, really bad shape."
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