Referenda & Funding

 Referendums and Public School Funding

Last week’s NJSD Board Meeting was wrenching as Superintendent Harrison proposed freezing annual salary increases for administrative staff.

How many people living within the NJSD boundaries would willingly accept their employer freezing their salary while inflation continues to rise? Why would district leadership propose something so personally painful?

The answer is simple: they are trying to close a budget gap.

And freezing administrative salary increases is only a small part of the picture. Those savings amount to pennies compared to the $1.3 million in cuts proposed through reductions in staff — including more than a 10% reduction in Special Education support positions.

At the same time, the Appleton Area School District has placed an operational referendum on the ballot asking voters to approve $15 million per year for the next four years. At last Thursday’s League of Women Voters candidate forum, candidates were asked what happens after those four years. Some acknowledged that additional referendums may be necessary if fundamental changes to public school funding are not made.

So what are these “fundamentals” that need updating?

The most recent Marquette Law School Poll found that Wisconsin voters favor reducing property taxes more than ever before when asked to choose between lowering property taxes or increasing spending on public schools.

But is it really a zero-sum choice where property taxes rise only because schools are spending more?

My own property taxes in Neenah have increased, yet school board meetings are regularly focused on how to reduce costs. How can both be true at the same time?

Across Wisconsin, a record number of school districts went to referendum in 2024. Are all of these districts suddenly financially incompetent? Or is something larger happening within the way public schools are funded?

There are answers to these questions. But as I begin answering them, I quickly discover how layered and constrained school funding really is.

As a school board member, I see my responsibility as two sides of the same coin.

On one side, the district must operate within the legal tools available to fund the services necessary for academic excellence.  As a board member, I will be on the governing body to steer decisions about how to navigate these challenging times.

On the other side, board members have a responsibility to help the public understand how those laws shape the choices we face — and which parts of the system work for, or against, the goals of our community.  As a board member, I will be a communicator with the public about the root causes of those challenges.