Operational Needs + Proposed Solution
Proposed Solution
On Tuesday, November 5, our community will vote on a proposed non-recurring operational referendum. If it’s approved, the referendum will help preserve programs, services, and opportunities for students, while addressing the District’s budget gap.
The question asks voters to approve raising the District’s revenue limit by $16.1 million per year, beginning with the 2025-26 school year and ending with the 2028-29 school year.
Our community is being asked to provide a total of $64.4 million over four years to fund district operations, including staff salaries and benefits, curricular revisions, and instructional and co-curricular programming for students.
Specifically, the funds would be used as follows:
$52.4 million to cover the operational shortfall for the 2025-26, 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years.
$8 million to increase educator compensation
$4 million for curricular materials
Facility Needs + Proposed Solution
Proposed Solution
On Tuesday, November 5, our community will vote on a proposed capital referendum.
Our community is being asked to provide a total of $60 million over 20 years to allow the District to address all deferred maintenance at Eisenhower, Madison, Roosevelt, Jefferson, and Washington Elementary Schools, as well as Wauwatosa Montessori/Fisher. An approved capital referendum would also ensure Eisenhower, Madison, Roosevelt, Jefferson, and Washington Elementary Schools, Montessori/Fisher, and Wauwatosa East and West High Schools meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) facilities standards.
The decision to invest in the known elementary school deferred maintenance greatly assists in maintaining all of the District’s small and accessible elementary schools. Maintaining the current elementary schools is a priority for the community, and the proposed facilities referendum is a reflection of that.
The school configuration is yet to be determined. This proposed capital referendum does not commit the District to a JK-6 or 7-12 model. How and where the students are configured and grouped for learning purposes has not yet been determined by the Board of Education.
Regarding the secondary school grade configuration, an Ad Hoc Committee will be convened in fall of 2025, and members will deliver recommendations regarding the secondary school configuration to the Board of Education by January 2026.