SUPERIOR — Voters in the Superior and Northwood school districts will find an additional question on their ballots asking them to increase property taxes to support their district.
Both districts are seeking voter approval to exceed state revenue caps for a set number of years. It’s the first time either district has gone to an operational referendum, which differs from a building referendum.
In Superior, the district is asking for a five-year tax levy district leaders say is needed to help retain teachers and maintain class sizes and programs in the face of declining enrollment and state funding that is not keeping up with rising costs.
The operational referendum would provide up to $2.5 million in the first two years, then rise by $1 million per year, capping off at $5.5 million for the 2028-2029 school year.
The annual tax impact to property owners would be $7 per $100,000 of value for the first two years and increase to $27, $54 and $79 over the following three years.
Contributed / Superior School District
The referendum comes after the district made substantial cuts at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, including eliminating 60 positions and closing Lake Superior School.
“The question is to our community, do you want us to keep making these deep cuts, or like the majority of school districts in Wisconsin do you want to invest to make sure that our programming and activities and our class sizes can be maintained,” said District Administrator Amy Starzecki.
A referendum is the only way the district can generate more revenue under state caps that have been in place since 1993, she said. Director of Business Services David See said that 85% of the districts in the state have already brought operational referendums to their constituents.
The Solon Springs School District had
a successful operational referendum in 2016
that provides up to $500,000 annually. A three-year operational referendum in the Maple School District
was voted down by a slim margin in 2018
.
As of Nov. 5, nearly half of all Wisconsin school districts — at least 192 of the state’s 421 — will have gone to referendum this year asking for almost $6 billion total, according to
a Sept.16 story by Wisconsin Watch
, a nonprofit investigative news organization.
“The state’s not funding education,” See said.
The Superior Federation of Teachers voted in September to support the operational referendum. The Superior-Douglas County Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors has also been urging the community to vote “Yes.”
“We don’t usually support referendums one way or another,” said Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Taylor Pedersen, but their stance is simple. “Quite honestly, it’s good schools equals good community. Better schools equals better community equals better business … a really healthy school district is good for the community.”
Pedersen encouraged people to “get involved and educate themselves and ask questions” about the referendum.
The district is offering a variety of events to raise awareness of the referendum and answer questions.
A community referendum meeting is at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21 in the Superior High School library media center.
Coffee and conversation events will take place at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17 at Perkins restaurant in Superior, 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30 at Four Corners Elementary School and 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 1 at the Board Administration Office.
Maria Lockwood / Duluth Media Group
Visit the
Superior School District website
and click on the referendum 2024 tab for more information.
A
Friends of Superior School District group
has also sprung up, spearheaded by Mark and Amanda Papko, who have two children at Cooper Elementary School. They plan to knock on doors and continue posting online, hoping it will grow into a community-wide push to say “Yes” on Nov. 5. The dollar amount — $7 per year for every $100,000 — is reasonable, Mark Papko said.
“That hopefully resonates well with most of the community members as something that, as you look to them, whether you’re a grandparent, parents or young couple or somebody that’s just in college, at some point this is going to affect you, either directly or indirectly,” Papko said. “We just think that it’s in everybody’s best interests to vote yes and to see our school district really flourish.”
The Northwood School District is asking voters to support an operational referendum that would provide $800,000 annually for four years.
District officials say the referendum was triggered by the rising cost of education and a recent facility audit that recommended safety, security and accessibility updates.
The flat four-year levy would amount to an extra $72 annually for every $100,000 of property value, or $6 per month, according to information provided by the district.
Contributed / Northwood School District
The referendum is a proactive step. While the district has a decent fund balance, the board of education passed a deficit budget of $90,000 last school year and expects to pass a deficit budget this year as well, according to School Board President Craig Golembiewski. This year’s deficit is estimated between $200,000 and $250,000, according to Superintendent Scot Kelly.
“So the writing’s on the wall, you know, when you go to the savings account two years in a row,” Golembiewski said.
Contributed / Northwood School District
The board also considered, but ultimately rejected, asking taxpayers for a second $2.5 million building referendum to pay for facility and site improvements.
Golembiewski said that if the operational referendum is successful, it would help address operational costs such as retaining teachers, staff and programming. It would also free up general fund dollars for deferred maintenance and accessibility upgrades.
“The project plan is the skin in the game … if this passes we’re gonna create a secured entrance and we’re going to update the student services center,” Kelly said.
Information sessions and optional tours will be held at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17 and from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18 at the school. Participants should use the main school entrance. Referendum information will also be presented from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Jack Link’s Aquatic and Activity Center in Minong.
Visit the
Northwood School District referendum page
for additional information.