The Kenosha Unified Board of Education voted to place an operational referendum question on the ballot for Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
If approved by voters, the referendum would enable the district to increase its revenue limit by $23 million per year through the 2029-30 school year. This funding would allow us to:
- Implement and meet our district goal of increasing the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in reading and math by 12%.
- Implement state-mandated programs, such as Act 20 and its science of reading practices, to enrich reading instruction and increase student proficiency.
- Retain our high-quality staff, whose dedicated professional time is essential for delivering exceptional education.
- Substantially reduce the structural deficit to protect class sizes, vital programs, and staff positions.
- Enhance the safety and security of students and staff by upgrading controlled building entrances, modernizing surveillance systems, reinforcing exterior doors, installing shatter-resistant window film, upgrading digital video recorders, and implementing additional critical safety measures.
School safety continues to be a topic of conversation in our community, especially after a recent incident at Roosevelt Elementary. Following that incident, we have heard from families that all schools should have controlled entrances and other enhanced security measures. An approved operational referendum would allow us to move forward with these critical efforts.
If the operational referendum is approved, it would have an estimated initial property tax impact of $1.25 per year on every $1,000 of equalized property value in our community. For example, the owner of a home worth $250,000 would see a property tax increase of $313 per year (or $26 per month).
Our schools have proudly served generations of students in our community. However, KUSD is facing the same financial challenges as most other school districts across Wisconsin, due mainly to an outdated and inequitable state funding formula and a lack of state support to public schools. Had state funding kept pace with inflation in recent years, KUSD would have about $31 million in its budget and would not need to seek a referendum.
Furthermore, as utilities, health insurance, transportation, and salaries increase, KUSD will face more difficult budget challenges. The first of these challenges is a projected $19 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 fiscal year alone. If this is not addressed, the district and board will need to move forward with reductions to programs, services, and staffing.
In the coming weeks, we will share more information about the district’s financial needs and the proposed solution on the February 18 ballot. You can follow updates at kusd.edu/referendum.