The Shawano School District will not be moving forward with plans to improve existing facilities and expand some parts of Shawano Community High School after a $54.5 million referendum failed to garner enough support from voters April 2.
The referendum fell by a vote of 1,837 against to 1,762 for, a 48.9% show of support that’s sending district officials back to the drawing board on how to tackle essential maintenance that would cover the next 10 years and what to do about projects that would have expanded and areas like performing arts, athletics, and career and technical education. Officials had hoped that, if the voters approved this referendum, that they might be able to present a proposal in a few years to build a new middle school.
School leaders were touting that this referendum would keep the tax rate level, as previous debt was expected to drop off this year. Without the referendum, taxes are expected to drop about $1 per $1,000 of equalized valuation over the next few years due to an increase in property values in recent years.
Superintendent Kurt Krizan expressed disappointment in the results, especially with the tight vote count.
“The board and administration worked together to create a comprehensive plan that would address the needs of the district, while also responding to the feedback from the community, which was gathered through the survey process,” Krizan wrote in an email to NEW Media. “To come up short by 75 votes is disappointing.”
The referendum saw majority approval in some areas, including the fourth, fifth and sixth aldermanic districts, as well as the Town of Pella, although most of those votes were just as close as the overall vote. The Town of Washington had a tie vote on the referendum at 28-28, but other towns and Shawano’s first three districts also delivered more no votes than yes in the election.
Krizan wrote he felt the district’s efforts in getting the word out were strong.
“I felt like we had a solid plan that provided information through every available avenue. As a team, we will come together and review our strategies and look for ways to improve,” he wrote.
By law, school districts can ask up to two referendum questions in a calendar year. Because Shawano only asked one question in the April election, it gives the district the opportunity to ask the question again in November, where turnout tends to be heavy because of the presidential election, or ask a revised or different question. That would depend on where the Shawano School Board plans to go in the future.
Krizan wrote that representatives from Hoffman Planning, which has guided the district through the referendum process for over a year, will be discussing next steps with the board at its April 8 meeting. The district will also be holding listening sessions on April 15, April 17 and April 23. All three sessions will run from 5-6:30 p.m. and will take place in the library at Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B, Shawano.
Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly issued a statement questioning why referenda for school districts are necessary in light of the state having a surplus that totals in the billions.
“Wisconsin communities value our public schools and the future of our kids, but they are being put in an impossible position,” Underly said. “While billions of dollars sit in the state’s coffers in the form of a surplus, voters are making the difficult decision whether to raise their own taxes just so their public schools can survive. Tonight’s referendum results are further proof that our state is not living up to its responsibility.”
Referendum for school district fails by 75 votes
