Waunakee, Wis. – Parents, teachers and property owners will head to the polls on Nov. 3 to consider two separate school‑district referendums. Both measures are designed to preserve competitive staff salaries and bring aging classrooms up to modern standards, while keeping the overall tax impact modest for local homeowners.

Operational levy to sustain competitive pay

The Waunakee Community School District is asking voters to approve a recurring operational referendum that would allow the district to exceed state revenue limits by up to $10.5 million each year. Superintendent Dr. Monica Kelsey‑Brown explained that the district aims to avoid additional local funding unless absolutely necessary, but inflation and state funding caps have made a steady revenue stream essential for retaining teachers.

Waunakee currently retains about 95 % of its teachers, a rate the district attributes to its ability to offer salaries comparable to other Dane County districts. The proposed levy would continue the existing $2.1 million operational funding while gradually increasing the district’s annual authority to keep pace with the Consumer Price Index.

Dane County Board Supervisor David Boetcher, a former Waunakee school‑board member, warned that short‑term referendums create frustration when districts must repeatedly return to voters for the same expenses. “If you do a short‑term operational one, then when it runs out, everybody asks, ‘Why are you asking for it again?’” Boetcher said.

$97.5 million capital plan for renovations

The second referendum would authorize up to $97.5 million in borrowing for a long‑range facilities plan that began in 2010. The bulk of the funding targets Waunakee Community High School, where classrooms lack the space and equipment needed for career‑focused programs such as health sciences and culinary arts.

Superintendent Kelsey‑Brown noted that more than 50 students currently travel off‑site for Certified Nursing Assistant lab training, costing the district roughly $800 per student. The high school also lacks a dedicated health‑sciences lab, hospital‑type beds and water access for hands‑on learning. In culinary arts, students are learning on equipment designed for home use rather than commercial‑grade tools, limiting real‑world preparation.

Beyond health and culinary programs, the capital proposal includes updated science laboratories, agricultural‑education spaces, additional career‑technical classrooms, and $4.4 million for outdoor athletic fields—about 4.5 % of the total request. Boetcher highlighted that the athletics component, while small, has drawn public attention because current locker‑room access requires students to walk through the high‑school building, and shelter during severe weather is limited.

Tax impact and fiscal safeguards

For a home valued at $500,000, the district projects an additional annual tax cost of roughly $210, translating to about $17.50 per month. These figures are based on current financial assumptions; actual bills may vary with property values, state aid and other levy decisions.

The district refinanced existing debt in 2025, reducing its tax levy by approximately $2.39 million. Kelsey‑Brown emphasized that the operational referendum gives the board flexibility to levy less than the authorized amount, and that any additional revenue authority does not automatically become a tax increase.

Community outreach and next steps

Both referendums will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot as independent questions, allowing voters to approve either, both, or neither. The district has held information sessions, building tours and other outreach events to explain the proposals. Residents are encouraged to review the detailed financial information and ballot language available on the Waunakee Community School District’s referendum website before casting their votes.

If the operational levy fails, district officials will meet in December to discuss staffing and program options, and may consider returning to voters with another operational referendum in April 2027. A failure of the capital measure would halt the proposed renovations under the current borrowing plan.

Superintendent Kelsey‑Brown summed up the district’s mission: “Schools are huge engines in the community. We want to continue a high‑quality teaching and learning experience so that our kids can go out and be the best they can be in the world.”

Original reporting: NBC15 WMTV (Gray) – local — read the source article.