Operational costs, new gym and other school upgrades all part of $43 million referendums in Shiocton School District
SHIOCTON - Voters in the Shiocton School District will have some important changes to consider in the Feb. 20 election.
On the ballot are two referendum questions totaling $43.2 million, one for operational costs and one for building upgrades.
For information about registering to vote and polling locations, visit myvote.wi.gov/en-us.
More: If it seems Wisconsin school districts are asking voters for money more often, it's because they are
Operational referendum seeks $7.4 million
One question will ask school district voters to decide whether to approve $7.4 million in operational expenses.
The nonrecurring operational referendum would increase funding over the state revenue limit by $2.2 million for the 2024-25 school year, $2.5 million for 2025-26, and $2.7 million for 2026-27.
Voters previously approved operational referendums in 2015, 2018 and 2021. The district said the 2021 referendum passed with over 70% of the vote.
The district is going to referendum again because of "growing needs of students and rising costs of goods and services," the district said. If this year's referendum doesn't pass, the district will be faced with reducing programs and classes and increasing class sizes to balance the budget.
More: Here are the types of school referendums and when they've succeeded in Wisconsin
Capital referendum seeks $35.8 million for building upgrades
The capital referendum would provide money to upgrade much of the school building infrastructure, add a new gym, new centers for technical education, fine arts and childcare and replace the playground equipment. The projects will be voted upon as a bundle, as "many of these projects are dependent on each other in order to be completed," the district said.
To accomplish the upgrades, the district would draw $35.8 million over three years.
District administrator Nichole Schweitzer said the capital referendum would "make a significant difference in the future of our students." She added much of the school building needs significant upgrades — for example, she said the plumbing dates back to the 1960s.
If both referendums pass, the tax rate would rise to an estimated $10.32 per $1,000 of property value over the next three years — an increase of about 23.6%. However, the district noted that the rate has been lower than projected. It was estimated to be $10.25 in 2023-24, but was actually $8.35 per $1,000.
The owner of a home valued at $280,000 would pay $2,338 in school taxes under the 2023-24 tax rate. If both referendums pass, the same homeowner would pay $2,889.60 under the new estimated tax rate.
Rebecca Loroff is an education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Contact her with story tips and feedback at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @RebeccaLoroff.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Shiocton School District seeks $43.2 million in two referendums
