Superior district asks voters to help fund schools
The School District of Superior is continuing to remind voters about the upcoming operational funding referendum.
The measure, which Superior voters will find on their ballots on November 5, asks for a five-year property tax increase to help fund the schools. If passed, the increase would amount to an average increase of $7 per $100,000 dollars of property value in the first two years, rising each year to a figure of $79 per $100,000 in 2028-29, the final year of the referendum.
This is the first time the district has ever asked voters for operational funding help, one of just 15% of districts throughout Wisconsin. Previous measures have gone to pay only for new school construction.
The district says they’ve had to make cuts for years in order to maintain a balanced budget for its schools. The district is currently operating on a balanced budget for this current school year, but moving forward, faces a $2 million deficit for the 2025-26 school year.
However, officials say if the referendum doesn’t pass in the fall, even more cuts will be needed.
“We can predict that there’ll be some significant cuts that will need to happen in years three, four, and five in particular, if we don’t look at a referendum in our community. And so, what that would look like is there’d be continued reduction in staffing,” said Dr. Amy Starzecki, Superior’s District Administrator, “We’ll be needing to look at extracurriculars, we’ll be needing to look at activities, programs that potentially may have to be reduced or eliminated in order to balance a budget.”
The district also says increased class sizes and the possibility of shuttering a school could be the result of the referendum failing.
Starzecki says the issue isn’t exclusive to Superior, and that many districts throughout the state are asking voters for funding help. The problem, she says, is state funding that hasn’t kept pace with inflation, and added that if funding levels had matched inflation, a referendum wouldn’t be necessary.
To inform voters, the district has been hosting community information meetings since last month, with several more planned before the election. Two are currently on the books; October 10 at the Superior Public Library starting at 5:30 p.m. and October 21 at Superior High School at 6 p.m.
Superior is also planning three “Coffee & Conversation” events with Dr. Starzecki as well to connect with community members.
More information on the events, as well as further breakdowns on the referendum can be found on the district’s website.