Frequently Asked Questions

REFERENDUM BASICS |
Why do Wisconsin school districts seek referendums?

Stagnant education funding from the state Legislature, as well as an economy complicated by the pandemic and inflation, is causing school districts across Wisconsin to navigate serious funding issues. Due to the “disconnect” between rising costs and frozen state funding, more districts are turning to voters to maintain operations and to meet capital needs.
Unless Wisconsin school funding methods change, operating referendums will continue to be necessary to avoid drastic cuts in programs and services.
What local districts have passed operating referendums recently?
Fox Point-Bayside 2018 & 2022
Glendale-River Hills 2019
Nicolet 2021
Maple Dale-Indian Hill 2019
Milwaukee Public Schools 2020
When can Wisconsin school districts place referendum questions on a ballot? What is the process?
What is the difference between a capital and an operating referendum?
What is the difference between a recurring and non-recurring referendum?
SSD OPERATIONAL REFERENDUM INFORMATION |
What are the District's financial needs?
What is the referendum question that will appear on the ballot?
"Shall the School District of Shorewood, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $5,500,000 per year beginning with the 2023-2024 school year and ending with the 2027-2028 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational and maintenance expenses, including salaries, benefits, and instructional and extra-curricular programming?"
Why is an operating referendum necessary?
Why must the referendum question be on the ballot before the biennial state budget is finalized? (2.28.23)
How has the community been involved in this process?
How would the referendum affect property taxes? (Updated 3.20.23)
If the referendum is approved, how would the District use the funds?
Has the Board made a firm commitment to funding steps and lanes as a top priority if the referendum passes? (2.23.23)
The Board has prioritized steps and lanes, but since 2020 it has become increasingly difficult to fund steps lanes and CPI. First, CPI increases have outpaced revenue, and it has become clear that the state will not be adjusting their contribution to school funding to help offset this gap. Second, supporting "consistent and predictable" compensation and benefit plans for all employees as outlined in Operating Expectation 4, the Board is committed to salary adjustments that are equitable across all employee groups, meaning we would not offer one group a larger overall raise than other groups.
Board Policy (OE 4.8) seeks to have teacher salaries within the top 33rd percentile compared to CESA1 school districts. As of the last 1202 staffing report released by DPI in 2022, Shorewood teacher average salaries ranked in the 87th percentile among CESA1 school districts and in the 97th percentile statewide.
If approved by voters, will the new referendum expire?
What happens if the referendum is not approved? (updated 3.8.23)
- Reduce staff
- Amend the class size guidelines and pursue course, programmatic and student-service modifications
- Freeze and/or significantly reduce salary increases
- Immediate reductions to employee benefits
- Align staffing to current student populations
- Seek efficiencies in all staffing categories
- Utilize class size target guidelines to guide staffing reductions and course offerings
- Health benefit model restructuring to minimize annual district cost increases
- Reduce outside consultant contracts
When was the last time voters approved a referendum for the District?
SUPPORTING FINANCIAL INFORMATION |
How much revenue would an approved referendum generate for the District?
What reductions will occur next year regardless of passage of the referendum? (3.8.23)
- Align staffing to current student populations
- Seek efficiencies in all staffing categories
- Utilize class size target guidelines to guide staffing reductions and course offerings
- Health benefit model restructuring to minimize annual district cost increases
- Reduce outside consultant contracts
What has the District done to manage its financial challenges? (updated 3.8.23)
- Consolidated grade level or content-area sections in all schools
- Decreased administrative staffing
- Decreased spending on materials and supplies
- Reduced spending on outside vendor/service contracts
- Changed healthcare policy
- Added new open enrollment students
If approved, will the referendum funds decrease the amount of funding the District receives from the state? (3.20.23)
Would more student enrollment provide enough revenue for the District to address the funding gap and avoid an operational referendum?
Why can’t the District use its fund balance to fill funding gaps?

Can the District use TID closure funds to close the gap? (2.20.23)
Can the District use federal COVID-19 relief funds (ESSER funds) to address its financial needs?
What legislative advocacy has the Board/District done as it relates to the proposed state budget? (3.2.23)
What if the state provides more funding for public schools? (updated 2.21.23)
Why does per pupil spending seem to differ widely across school districts? (2.28.23)
Average salaries. Compensation makes up the majority of all school budgets, so this is the major driver of cost per student. Shorewood ranks in the top third for teacher salaries , which is the largest employee group.
Benefits. Provision of a competitive health insurance plan as well as retirement benefits adds to compensation cost. Shorewood pays 87.5% of medical premiums for eligible staff. In addition, all public school districts make a 6.8% contribution to each employee's retirement plan. Shorewood also invests close to a half million dollars in additional retirement contributions each year.
Class Sizes. Small class sizes require more staff. Shorewood has the 3rd lowest overall teacher:student ratio of all 31 school districts in the region. (Note that this comparison includes positions like reading specialists, but it does not include positions like deans or coaches).
Breadth of Offerings. Program offerings like drama, music, orchestra, specialized AP and other academic courses require investment in a minimum staffing that is the same regardless of school size. This means that, for each student in Shorewood, the cost per student of offering certain programs is larger than at a larger school that can offer these programs to a larger student population at the same overall cost, lowering the per student expense.
Operational Costs. Costs of operation can vary greatly based on size of facilities and campuses, as well as size of the overall catchment area. In Shorewood, we benefit from having minimal transportation needs and, compared to Districts outside of the Milwaukee area, fewer grounds to maintain. On the other hand, maintaining our community facilities, two pools, and historic facilities adds expenses compared to schools with fewer facilities and/or newer properties.
How does the referendum impact the mill rate? (3.20.23)
VOTER INFORMATION |
When is election day?
What is the question that will appear on the ballot?
Where can I vote?
Can I vote early?