Milton School Board members criticized legislators for decreases in state aid Monday before unanimously approving a $9.5 million operating referendum on the April 4 ballot.
If approved, the $9.5 million would be spread out over four years, starting in 2023-24 at $4 million. The referendum amount would vary each year. In the second and third years, the amount would be $1 million. In the last year, it would be $3.5 million.
Superintendent Rich Dahman has warned that the district may have a shortfall of up to $2.5 million. He has also said that without a fresh referendum, the district will have to cut staff and student programs. Staffing cuts would lead to fewer teachers with larger class sizes, he said.
According to budget projections from Business Services Director Carey Bradley, the district will likely have shortfalls with the current referendum still on the books and if per-pupil aid were to increase by as much as $250.
Board members said they have been hamstrung by the lack of additional aid from the state. Board member Shelly Crull-Hanke said aid increases from the state “is not going to happen” and that waiting for an election date in 2024 would be too late to pass a referendum.
“Contact your legislators. They’re not going to agree with the governor and the governor is not going to agree with them,” Crull-Hanke urged the audience.
Board member John Dummer said he expected tough votes when he became a member last year, and this was one.
“I hope you guys do your due diligence and attend info sessions, if we have them,” Dummer said.
Dahman said there would be question-and-answer sessions and reports on those events posted online by the district. He did not announce when those sessions might be.
Board president and finance committee member Joe Martin said a top priority would be to keep the tax rate as close as possible to what it was for 2022-23, which was $8.11 per $1,000 of equalized value.
“The goal was to keep the (tax) rate steady and to make sure it stayed within the historic range,” Martin said Jan. 11.
Since 2012, the district’s tax rate has been in a range of $7.81 and $9.26 per $1,000 of equalized value.
Elsewhere in the area, the Fort Atkinson School District will have an operating referendum question on its ballot. If approved, that would also start with the 2023-24 school year. That will entail a $3 million per year recurring referendum and a four-year nonrecurring referendum for $5 million a year through the 2026-27 school year.
The Beloit School District also approved a referendum question for the April ballot. If approved, Beloit’s referendum would be a nonrecurring two-year referendum for $23 million.
In 2022, 92 Wisconsin school districts asked their voters to approve referendums.
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