Middleton‑Cross Plains, Wis. – On Tuesday, Nov. 3, voters in the Middleton‑Cross Plains Area School District will decide whether to approve a four‑year, non‑recurring operational referendum. The measure is intended to replace the funding approved in 2022, which expires at the end of the 2026‑27 school year.
Why the referendum matters
District officials say the state’s school‑funding formula has fallen behind inflation by roughly $3,600 per student over the past 16 years, creating an estimated $25.4 million gap based on 2025‑26 enrollment. If the referendum fails, the board projects it will need to cut about $24.9 million from the budget beginning in the 2027‑28 school year – roughly 20 % of the operating budget.
School Board President Bob Hesselbein explained that the district continues to grapple with rising costs while state aid lags. “Since 2010, the state has been taking away funding from our schools in real dollars and yet increasing unfunded mandates requiring us to do more with less,” Hesselbein said. “We were hoping that things would change at the state. They have not. So, we’re having to go back to our community just like so many other school districts in Wisconsin.”
What the referendum would fund
The proposal would maintain the district’s existing funding level in the first year and increase it modestly in the following three years. The additional money would support ongoing expenses such as educational programs, extracurricular activities, employee compensation and other day‑to‑day operations – not new construction.
Even if voters approve the measure, the district still expects about $5 million in budget reductions over the four‑year period. Hesselbein noted the board initially considered a larger request but scaled back after seeing the broader economic pressures facing families across the state and nation.
Impact on property taxes
Because the referendum would initially renew existing funding, there would be no extra property‑tax increase in the first year. Projected increases would begin in the second year as the district’s funding authorization rises.
For a home with a fair market value of $500,000, the district estimates the additional annual tax impact would be $150 in year two, $300 in year three and $600 by year four – an estimated $600 more annually by the fourth year compared with the first year.
Community voices
Kris Tawil, a mother of two and co‑chair of the independent Vote Yes campaign, warned that rejecting the referendum could lead to larger class sizes, deferred building maintenance, reduced playground equipment and the loss of high‑school extracurricular opportunities.
“We moved here specifically so my kids could go to school in this district because we have something really special here and great schools don’t happen by accident,” Tawil said. “The biggest hurdle for us is educating people on A, that it’s going to be on the ballot and B, why we need it.”
Next steps
The district will hold another information session on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Middleton High School Performing Arts Center. Early voting is already underway, and the full ballot question, funding breakdown and estimated tax impact are available on the district’s referendum website.
With the district holding Wisconsin’s highest overall school‑accountability rating, supporters argue the referendum is essential to preserving the quality of education that families value.
Original reporting: NBC15 WMTV (Gray) – local — read the source article.
