Central Wisconsin school districts largely found success on Tuesday with funding referenda.
A reporter with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin tracked nine area school districts that asked 11 tax levy questions on the Nov. 5 ballot. Voters approved 10 of the requests with the Tomah Area School District’s $177.34 million request receiving the sole rejection. Tomah’s plan would have built a new high school building and created space for consolidating educational spaces and offices into five fewer district buildings.
Statewide voters saw 137 school funding questions on their ballots in 120 districts. Preliminary analysis by the Wisconsin Policy Forum found 107 referendum questions passed in 93 school districts.
Wisconsin voters, collectively, saw over 210 school funding referenda on ballots in 2024, according to Department of Instruction data. Ninety-two districts sought funding on spring ballots. Districts are allowed to ask two referenda questions per year.
Here is a list of school referenda considered by area districts and the results of the vote on them.
Antigo School District
$54 million one-time capital improvement referendum to build a new elementary school building, relocate district offices, maintain and improve the middle and high school buildings and other minor items.
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Yes: 5,195 (55.69%)
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No: 4,133 (44.31%)
Colby School District
$17.77 million capital improvement referendum for a districtwide facility improvement project that would include safe entrances, maintenance projects and other minor items.
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Yes: 1,678 (60.7%)
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No: 1,086 (39.3%)
$7.72 million capital improvement referendum for renovations and other improvements at the district’s elementary school building that would include classrooms, music and art spaces and allow the district to reconfigure grade levels.
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Yes: 1,667 (60.9%)
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No: 1,070 (39.1%)
Marathon City School District
$1.6 million recurring referendum for regular operational and maintenance expenses.
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Yes: 1,549 (53.32%)
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No: 1,356 (46.68%)
Marshfield School District
$71.58 million capital improvement referendum for renovations and improvements at Grant Elementary School and Marshfield High School.
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Yes: 7,820 (50.7%)
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No: 7,617 (49.3%)
Medford School District
$22.67 million capital improvement referendum for construction of an addition and renovations at the high school and maintenance and remodeling projects at the elementary, middle and high school buildings. Projects at the high school would make improvements for technical education, classrooms and accessibility.
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Yes: 3,905 (52.4%)
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No: 3,553 (47.6%)
Mosinee School District
$19.75 million capital improvement referendum for renovations and improvements to the shared middle and high school building. Projects include updates to career and technical education learning areas, new locker rooms, new high school kitchen and cafeteria, a secure entrance for the high school and other minor items.
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Yes: 5,357 (64.6%)
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No: 2,932 (35.4%)
Pittsville School District
$6.02 million non-recurring referendum to provide funds for the next four school years beginning with 2024-25 for general operations costs, maintaining educational programs and facility maintenance.
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Yes: 1,269 (55.7%)
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No: 1,011 (44.3%)
Marion School District
$7.38 million capital improvement referendum for remodeling the elementary and district office, adding secure entryways to the elementary and junior/senior high buildings, updating the high school’s technical education program and addressing maintenance needs.
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Yes: 1,267 (59.54%)
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No: 861 (40.46%)
$7.6 million capital improvement referendum for construction of an addition and renovation at the elementary school building to create a combined elementary and middle school and acquire furnishings, fixtures and equipment. The district currently has a shared middle/high school building.
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Yes: 1,091 (52.08%)
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No: 1,004 (47.92%)
Tomah Area School District
$177.34 million capital improvement referendum to acquire land to build a new high school building and campus including an auditorium and site improvements, renovate and convert the current high school into a middle school and renovate and convert the current middle school into an elementary school. Two elementary school buildings, an alternative high school building, a Montessori school building and the district office building could have been removed due to consolidation into available space in the new buildings.
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Yes: 3,959 (37.89%)
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No: 6,490 (62.11%)
More election news: What did we learn from Election Day 2024 in central Wisconsin?
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK – Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Marshfield News-Herald: Central Wisconsin schools see voter support for funding referenda
