Luxemburg-Casco School District to see referendum
BY STAR-NEWS STAFF
LUXEMBURG-CASCO – During the April 2 spring election, voters in the Luxemburg-Casco School District will see the following referendum question on their ballot:
BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of the Luxemburg-Casco School District, Kewaunee and Brown Counties, Wisconsin that the revenues included in the School District budget be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $1,800,000 per year for three years, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year and ending with the 2026-2027 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational expenses including staff wages and benefits and maintaining literacy, reading, and college and technical career programming.
The district had originally intended to ask the district to increase the revenue limit by $2.6 million each year for three years; but, following a community survey that showed resistance, the board of education moved forward with a referendum resolution of $1.8 million each year for three years.
If passed, the projected mill rate in the district will be $31 per $100,000 of property value per year, or as illustrated on the district’s website: “For a house with a property value of $250,000, the estimated annual tax increase would be $77.50 per year. This equates to $6.45 per month.”
The Wisconsin Association of School Boards reported 91 local school district referenda on the spring ballot in 85 districts — 42 of those referendums will ask for a non-recurring increase in the district’s revenue limit, while 19 will ask for a permanent recurring increase for the district’s revenue limit.
Thirty additional referenda for borrowing will ask to issue bonds for major construction, remodeling or maintenance projects. The Luxemburg-Casco referendum is asking to exceed the revenue limit for three years for operational expenses.
What led to this
In 1993, state legislation put a limit on what districts spend per pupil and the limit was based on spending in 1993.
The limit was originally adjusted to keep in line with inflation, until the 2009-10 school year when legislators discontinued the increases.
Since that time, the Luxemburg-Casco School District estimates that “revenues have lagged behind inflation by more than $3,200 per pupil.”
The district said that the projected shortfall in 2023-24 will be at $538,000, 2024-25 at $1.33 million, 2025-26 at $2.04 million and 2026-27 at $2.88 million.
The Luxemburg-Casco referendum is asking to exceed the revenue limit for three years for operational expenses.
“The district has already made over $500,000 in reductions this school year. 80% of the L-C School District’s budget is wages and benefits so if the referendum does not pass, the district will need to, at a minimum, reduce 11 full-time positions, five part-time positions and one position will have a reduction in hours,” said Luxemburg-Casco School Superintendent Jo-Ellen Fairbanks
For more information, visit www.luxcasco.k12.wi.us/district/board-of-education/operational-referendum-24-27.