Live election results: Wisconsin school referendums to watch
MILWAUKEE - Dozens of school districts in southeast Wisconsin asked voters for tens of millions of dollars in funding on the Nov. 5 ballot. Here are some referendums FOX6 News previously covered and what to know about each as votes come on Tuesday night.
Franklin High School
A referendum asks if voters support a $145 million construction project for Franklin High School.=
Franklin Public Schools said the job market is demanding access to technical education classes and skills, but that's hard to do when lab space is limited. Superintendent Annalee Bennin said the high school's existing lab space is more than 50 years old and there is a waitlist for classes in construction, manufacturing and agriculture.
If the referendum passes, $123 million would go toward the high school and build things like a technical education shop, a five-court field house and additional classrooms and parking. It would cost taxpayers anywhere from $82 to $410 more per year depending on the property value of their homes.
Wauwatosa School District
The first question asks voters to approve a $16 million increase for the next school year. It would allow the school district to pay teacher salaries and benefits. The second question would help fund district projects. If approved, the district would get $60 million over the next two decades.
This comes after the district made a big mistake in its budget. In August, FOX6 News obtained documents showing leaders put about $9.3 million aside for the current school year. But really, the district needed to budget more than $13 million.
Fixing the problem all depends on the fate of the referendum. If it doesn't pass, leaders said they will have to slash jobs and insurance benefits.
Arrowhead High School
Taxpayers are being asked for more than $250 million. Superintendent Conrad Farner said Arrowhead High School is showing its age.
After a year of surveys and studies, Farner said the school board settled on two referendums for the November ballot. They include a nearly $2 million annual operations referendum over the course of four years to pay for things like utilities and special education – and a $261 million facilities referendum to consolidate Arrowhead's split campus into one new school. Currently, Farner said students have to walk three-quarters of a mile between the north and south campuses.
Park View Middle School
After the district failed to get a $102 million referendum passed in April, Superintendent Joe Koch said the school board came up with a leaner pitch to voters for the November ballot.
The new $89 million plan would allow for larger classrooms. Sixth graders would join their seventh- and eighth-grade peers in the building to free up space at the elementary school level.
If the referendum doesn’t pass on Tuesday, Koch said his team will have a meeting first thing on Wednesday to try and figure out "Plan C." If approved, district officials said the average homeowner in the village will pay an extra $100 per year in taxes.
To find results for other school referendums in southeast Wisconsin, visit the FOX6 News election results page.
Reaction and statements
State Superindendent Jill Underly
"Wisconsin families value public education and understand our schools need sustainable funding to keep the lights on and provide a high-quality education to our kids. At the same time, they understand this responsibility should not disproportionately fall on local taxpayers.
"Our state legislature has severely underfunded public schools for well over a decade, and it has led to a record number of districts going to referendum to try and fix severe financial constraints on their own. Too many communities were forced to vote Tuesday whether to increase property taxes just so their local schools can pay staff, heat and cool their buildings, and provide a quality education.
"There’s a better path. We must reinvest in our public schools and the future of our kids. The upcoming biennial budget provides yet another opportunity for the legislature to uphold its responsibility to appropriately fund public schools, and to stop forcing Wisconsin communities to make impossible choices."