Voters in Whitefish Bay rejected a $135 million school referendum by a 300-vote margin.
The measure failed with 52% voting no and 48% voting yes. The Whitefish Bay School District will now reassess its plans and move forward without the new funding.
The proposal focused on improving school safety, facilities and long-term infrastructure across the district. A yes vote meant moving forward with upgrades and higher property taxes, while a no vote meant holding the line on taxes but delaying some projects.
Watch: Whitefish Bay voters reject a $135 million school referendum, leaving the district to reassess plans
Earlier today, residents headed to the polls, weighing strong schools against the cost of living, leaving the community split on what comes next.
"My house taxes would go up approximately $3,600 annually, and I think we're already taxed enough," Kurt Farrell said.
"I think it's a bit unwise financially," former resident Tom August said. "That’s a huge property bill that people have to pay."
"It sends a terrible message… when you see the schools out here and then what exists in the city—it’s like two different worlds," August said.
"It's expensive, but we're all for it," Bill Foote said.
"The middle school, I believe, was built in 1918 and two of our five children went through the Whitefish Bay School District here," Bill Foote said. "We’re always very pleased with the educational process…"
"Investing in our kids and supporting them… the middle school is a very, very old school and needs to be redone and as the other schools need to be taken care of," Kari Foote said. "We think this would be a real win for our community."
"I feel like it’s really important to have a healthy environment for students to develop and to learn new things… and just to become people," 18-year-old first-time voter Isadora Milan said.
"I mean, it's the cost of having, you know, a better society in the future and so having more educated children means that people," Milan said.
The Whitefish Bay School District will move forward without new funding—and the community remains split on what comes next.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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