by Jon Styf
The Wauwatosa School District is asking voters to approve a pair of referendums worth $124.4 million on the Nov. 5 ballot.
But a taxpayer advocacy group believes the district, with declining enrollment, should “right-size” its current budget rather than using a referendum to spend more taxpayer money. The group pointed toward a second planned referendum in 2026 as part of a cycle of tax increases that it believes needs to end.
The group points to a reported $4 million budget mistake by the district as a sign of mismanagement.
The district’s two proposals include $16.1 million per year for four years to fund operational expenses such as salaries and benefits and a $60 million referendum for maintenance and capital projects at Eisenhower, Madison, Roosevelt, Jefferson, and Washington elementary schools, Montessori/Fisher and Wauwatosa East and West high schools.
State law caps how much a district can increase its property tax levy without voter approval. The district had 110 less resident students last year than it did in 2017-18.
The district says the first referendum includes $52.4 million to maintain class sizes and academic programs, $8 million to increase teacher compensation and $4 million to update curriculum and materials.
“Because state funding has not kept pace with inflation, the District is facing a budget shortfall of $9.3 million for the 2024-25 school year – and $61 million over the next five years,” the district said. “The District plans to use its fund balance to fill this budget gap for the 2024-25 school year. However, this is not a sound long-term financial strategy.”
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Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter of The Center Square who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies.
