What voters need to know about a $14M Stevens Point School District referendum set for the April ballot
STEVENS POINT – Voters in the Stevens Point Area Public School District will see a $14 million operational referendum question on their spring ballot April 2. The referendum, approved Dec. 11 by School Board, would help the district resolve its anticipated $5 million revenue deficit for the 2023-24 school year.
Here’s what else voters need to know about the referendum, why it's needed, what could happen if it fails and how it will impact taxpayers.
Why is the district asking for more funding?
Published district communications cite Wisconsin’s often-criticized 1994 school funding formula system, a reduction in state aid to public schools and rising operational costs as precipitating factors leading to this operational referendum.
“Our school district has served students and families well over the years, and we take great pride in being an integral part of the community,” Superintendent Cory Hirsbrunner said in a news release last week. “At the same time, we face pressing financial challenges that are largely out of our control and that require the attention of our entire community.”
An operational referendum differs from a capital referendum, which would fund a single large expense. Stevens Point School District voters last approved both kinds of referendums in 2018, when a $75.9 million capital referendum for school renovations and a $3.5 million operating referendum passed with almost 70% support.
The new $14 million operational referendum has four primary purposes, according to Sarah O’Donnell, the district’s director of communications. They are to attract and maintain quality staff, continue to offer diverse academic programming, ongoing maintenance of software and hardware so students are using current technologies and increasing mental health support services in the schools.
The referendum would also supplement the school’s 10-year facility maintenance plan. This plan includes items related to roofing, HVAC, asphalt and windows along with other basic items. For example, one minor item funds from the referendum would contribute to is replacement of school public address systems.
What will the referendum cost a district taxpayer?
The $14 million operational referendum would phase in a revenue limit increase over two years with a 44 cent per $1,000 of assessed property value increase in 2024 and an additional 47 cent increase per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2025. Put another way, a person whose home is valued at $100,000 would see their school district taxes increase $44 in 2024 and another increase of $47 dollars in 2025. That combined increase would continue indefinitely.
The two increases would raise the district’s levy limit by $8.75 million in 2024 and $5.25 million in 2025. District leaders say despite the increase, Stevens Point Area School District’s mill rate will remain below the state average and that of most neighboring school districts.
What if the referendum fails?
The district had previously reported a $5 million budget deficit that would progress to $10 million if left unaddressed for four years. However, the district has strategies to manage these deficits and would make needed reductions to maintain its budget if the referendum fails.
Larger class sizes, reductions of teachers and support staff, and larger student-to-teacher ratios would be some immediate impacts of a failed referendum, O’Donnell said. She also said there would be fewer options in academic programming, limiting students’ options for exploring their interests or being exposed to unfamiliar topics.
“Choice within our programming is something this community has valued and is proud of,” O’Donnell told the Stevens Point Journal. “However, if these cuts need to be made, it will likely need to look very different.”
O’Donnell also mentioned how reductions like these and a decline in the quality of education can impact the community in other ways including property values and the "overall desirability of our community."
What will the referendum question look like on the ballot?
The language of the referendum question will be: BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of the Stevens Point Area Public School District, Portage and Wood Counties, Wisconsin that the revenues included in the School District budget be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $8,750,000 for the 2024-2025 school year, and by an additional $5,250,000 (for a total of $14,000,000) for the 2025-2026 school year and thereafter, for recurring purposes to pay operating costs for retention of staff, to enhance safety and security, to maintain technology and infrastructure, to maintain academic programs, to address behavior and mental health support, to maintain district facilities, and for other operational expenses.
Where can I find more information about the referendum?
Listening sessions will begin this week and an informational mailer will be sent out in January, O'Donnell said.
More information, including the listening session schedule, can be found on the district’s website along with past budgets, frequently asked questions and more about the referendum planning process.
More local news: Central Wisconsin law enforcement struggle to keep up with surge in requests for police video footage
More local news: Future of Portage County Health Care Center uncertain as leaders debate potential referendum and sale
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA-TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Reach him at epfantz@gannett.com or connect with him on Twitter @ErikPfantz.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: What voters need to know about a $14M Stevens Point Schools referendum
