Sheboygan Falls voters approved $65.7 million for school construction and renovation work in the Nov. 3 election, joining several other southeast Wisconsin communities that backed school funding requests. The measure will pay for renovations at the elementary school, along with renovations and expansions at the high school. The district put the cost to taxpayers at $16 per $100,000 of property value.
Across Wisconsin, more than 70 school districts placed referendums before voters on Tuesday. Many asked for additional funding to repair, maintain or improve school buildings. In southeast Wisconsin, voters approved measures in Brown Deer, Elmbrook and Whitefish Bay as well as Sheboygan Falls, agreeing to property tax increases to support the proposed spending.
Brown Deer voters passed both questions submitted by their school district. One provides $2.8 million annually for five years to cover everyday operating expenses, including staffing, programs and services. The second provides $35 million for building repairs and improvements to safety and accessibility. According to the district, the combined property tax increase would amount to $92 a year for each $100,000 in property value.
In Elmbrook, a $100 million referendum won approval with 61% of the vote, while 39% voted against it. The money is designated for renovations at four schools that are decades old: Pilgrim Park Middle School, Wisconsin Hills Middle School, Swanson Elementary School and Tonawanda Elementary School.
A district spokesperson said debt associated with Elmbrook's 2008 referendum is retiring, reducing the net tax effect of the newly approved measure. With that debt coming off the books, the spokesperson estimated a net annual tax increase of about $55 for a property valued at $500,000.
Whitefish Bay's $90 million proposal received 63% support, giving it the largest approval margin among school funding referendums in southeast Wisconsin. The school district said the measure would increase property taxes by $125 for every $100,000 of fair market value. Its passage followed voters' rejection of a similar, $135 million proposal in April.
Plans published online outline rebuilding and renovation work at Whitefish Bay's middle school, improvements at the high school and fire safety upgrades at Cumberland and Richards schools. The approved November proposal puts those projects among the school building improvements backed by voters in the region.
