I am writing to you this week in the first of a series of articles to provide information related to the voter-approved operational referendum. The 2025-26 school year marks the final year of the current operational referendum. In April 2022, the community overwhelmingly supported this operational referendum. The current operational referendum was equivalent to $1.3 million for four years and included an additional $300,000 annually of planned deficit spending from the general fund, for a total of $1.6 million from the fall of 2022 to the spring of 2026.

The district is now moving into the community feedback phase for operational needs. In the first week of November, all district residents will receive a survey from School Perceptions that will assist in gathering information related to the operational referendum that district residents will be asked to vote on in April 2026.

In the state of Wisconsin since 2015, 294 of 421 (70%) of districts have asked their residents to vote on operational referendums. This number directly reflects the prevailing mindset of the state legislature to force the school funding issue back to the local municipalities, while simultaneously limiting the amount of state aid to schools. Currently, 71% of districts in Wisconsin are receiving less aid than they did in 2024-25.

Historically, the Ellsworth Community School District has ranked in the lower half of the state in revenue limit per member in the state. The most current information shows the Ellsworth Community School District as ranking 249 of 421 public school districts in Wisconsin in revenue per member. This ranking takes into account the current operational referendum amount of $1.3 million that expires after this school year.

The survey will focus on a tiered approach to gauge community support. The dollar amounts being surveyed will be $3 million, $3.5 million, and $4 million per year for four years. According to The Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO), general school district revenues per pupil lag inflation by $3,380 per pupil since 2009. In the Ellsworth Community School District, with a three-year average of roughly 1,600 FTE’s (full-time equivalencies), that equates to $5,408,000. The operational referendum amounts being surveyed are less than the revenue we would have expected if school funding increases had kept up with inflation.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at nadeaub@ellsworth.k12.wi.us or 715-273-3900.