Stories tagged: "school referendum"


Yielding to pedestrians crossing at crosswalks is Wisconsin law. Photo Courtesy Green Bay Area Public School District
Pedestrian Crashes Are Up in Wisconsin: What Drivers, Walkers Need to Know

Plus–one city’s flashy solution to fix it. Many Wisconsin communities are extremely walker-friendly. But the state Highway Safety Association is issuing a warning: the number of car-pedestrian crashes is growing. Fatal crashes grew by 50 percent in 2022, according to a report by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association. That’s in line with the national trend:...

Empty classroom
Despite a New Deal, an Old GOP Law Means Some Wisconsin School Districts Will Get Less Funding This Year

A 2017 law from the Republican-controlled Legislature bans school districts from getting increases in minimum state aid for three years if they had a failed referendum.

(Image by Shutterstock)
Mixed Results for School Referendums Across Wisconsin—and Another Reminder of How Every Vote Matters

Only about 50% of school referendums seeking to exceed budget limits enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature passed last week. Voters were more approving of bonds allowing schools to take on new debt to fund projects.

Election Results Prove– Democrat or Republican, Voters Want More Funding for Public Schools 

tl;dr A Democratic policy is popular even in counties where Wisconsin's Democratic governor isn't.

Sanitized voting booth
‘The Quiet Majority Needs to Show Up’: Election Day Brings High Stakes for Schools, Local Government, Courts

Spring non-partisan races have been shaped by GOP-supported spending and messaging. Dozens of school districts forced to ask for additional local help to make up for the Legislature’s lack of support.

Julian Thomas Elementary School in Racine, built in the 1850s as Garfield School, will receive updates as part of the $1 billion referendum district voters passed in spring 2020. (Photo via Julian Thomas Elementary/Facebook)
Are Schools Infrastructure? Ask the Wisconsin Students and Educators Using Buildings Dating Back Over 100 Years.

Biden infrastructure plan meant to help districts where local voters may or may not approve critically needed repairs and staff to build a new generation of graduates.

A finished clean room with stacked chairs in the science room at the Mildred Avenue K-8 School building in Boston's Mattapan, which were being cleaned for the reopening of school on July 9, 2020. Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Wisconsin Schools Have 69 Referenda on Ballots. Some Just Ask for Basic Funds.

From keeping programs in place to bringing sites into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, cash-starved schools are asking their communities for extra funding due to the Legislature’s restrictions.