LAKE COUNTRY — Voters in the Lake Country School District will decide this April whether to approve an operational referendum that district leaders say could impact the future of the district.
The district is asking voters to approve an operational referendum that would raise approximately $800,000 per year for four years to help cover operating costs, including staff, programs, and daily expenses.
Watch: Lake Country vote could impact future of school district:
District officials estimate that the referendum would cost taxpayers approximately $13 per year for every $100,000 of home value.
“We’re doing everything we need to do within our means to be responsible with any funding we have, but we need support,” District Administrator Chad Schraufnagel said.
This marks the third referendum in three years. Voters rejected similar requests in 2024 and 2025, where some residents raised concerns about taxes and repeated requests for funding.
According to district information, the Lake Country School District faces a projected budget deficit and expects that gap to grow in the next few years.
District officials say the district has used its fund balance, or savings, for several years to cover operating costs and that the fund balance has dropped significantly.
“Since the spring of ’23, we have reduced $1.6 million in revenue limits. We have used all internal mechanisms at our disposal to fix the financial side we can. Now it’s really due to lack of state funding,” Schraufnagel explained.
He says without the referendum, the district would likely begin planning for dissolution or closure.
“If the referendum does not pass, it would begin a very, very difficult road for Lake Country,” he said.
“We may see a great number of students open enroll out. We’re looking at possible dissolution of the district.”
If the district dissolves, the state would redraw district boundaries, and students would likely attend neighboring districts.
The district serves about 350 students in grades 4K-8.
Some parents who support the referendum say they worry about what could happen if the district closes.
“I have a six-year-old and not knowing where she’s going to go to school in the next three years is awful,” Kelly Hoesly, a parent of three children in the district, said.
“Losing those traditions is heartbreaking. Kids aren’t a line item on a spreadsheet.”
The referendum question will appear on the April 7 ballot.
The district is also hosting community information sessions for residents who want to learn more about the referendum.
Those are at 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, at 1800 Vetterlson Rd., Hartland, WI.
TMJ4 News reached out to residents who oppose the referendum, but did not hear back before publication. Anyone with concerns or a different perspective is encouraged to contact the newsroom.
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