Voters snub School District referendum again

Despite a promise not to raise taxes if it passed and a prediction of financial challenges that could compromise the quality of education if it didn’t, a referendum that would have helped the Northern Ozaukee School District make ends meet was rejected by voters Tuesday for the second consecutive year.

Had the measure been approved, the School District would have been able to exceed its revenue limit by as much as $1.7 million annually for four years to pay operational and maintenance expenses.

But it didn’t.

The referendum failed by 107 votes, with 984 people (53%) voting against it and 877 (47%) voting for it, according to preliminary results from the Ozaukee County Clerk’s Office.

In heavier voting last year, voters rejected the measure by similar percentages, with 54% voting against it and 46% in favor of it.

Now the district, which will likely gear up for another referendum next year, may have to make tough decisions to address what is likely to be a significant budget shortfall.

“The district and School Board will engage the community in the development of a reduction plan for staffing and student support services, course offerings, technology and equipment upgrades, extracurricular and athletic offerings and facilities maintenance schedules and modifications to class sizes,” school officials wrote on the district’s website.

“And the district (will) likely return to the community with a proposal for a future operating referendum.”

Stung by the rejection of the referendum last year, school officials concluded they needed to better communicate the need for the spending request to voters and rolled out an information campaign.

But just days ahead of the election, district residents received a mailer portraying the district as an underperforming school system that pays its superintendent handsomely while overtaxing residents.

“Demand accountability. Vote no April 2, 2024,” the flier urged.

The person or people who paid for the mailer were not listed on the flier as is required on most election material advocating a position.

School Board Vice President Dan Large, chairman of its Finance Committee, called the campaign an attempt to scuttle the referendum with misinformation.

“It’s frustrating to me as a School Board member, and I think it’s frustrating to a community that wants quality schools,” he said in an interview before the polls closed Tuesday.

The district responded with a mailer of its own that sought to correct and clarify information school officials said was incorrect or misleading and took aim at those responsible for sending the vote-no flier.

“What is the motive for this group to send a mailing?” it asked. “Are they trying to tear this community apart? Do they not support a school district being located in their community?

“Why would any group put misleading information out against NOSD?”

Key to the district’s message was an explanation of school levy limits and how they “handcuff” some districts, particularly small ones like Northern Ozaukee.

State-imposed tax levy limits cap the revenue school districts receive in general aid and property taxes based in part on enrollment.

“We basically have handcuffs on,” Large said in February. “The state tells us how much we can spend to run our schools based on the number of (students) we have.”

And levy limits for school districts that don’t have increasing enrollment often remain the same year after year despite the fact expenses increase exponentially, he said.

“We’re operating this district under the same budget we did 10 years ago,” Large said. “That’s pretty challenging.”

School officials also made it clear that the pre-payments the district has made on the $15 million it borrowed to improve facilities after a successful 2018 referendum not only saved the district $2.5 million in interest and took five years off the repayment period but set it up for an operational referendum that would not increase taxes. Had the measure passed on Tuesday, the district would have reduced the payments on its 2018 debt and applied the difference to operating expenses.