KENOSHA, Wis. (Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025) 鈥 According to preliminary election results, the proposed operational referendum on the ballot for the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 fell short of being approved by voters on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
As a result, the district鈥檚 budget challenges will worsen as the costs of utilities, health insurance, transportation and salaries continue to increase, outpacing any funding increases KUSD might see from the state. The district is projecting over a $19 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 fiscal year alone.
If approved, the referendum would have enabled the district to raise its state-imposed revenue limit by $23 million annually through the 2029-30 school year.
鈥淭his outcome does not diminish our community’s strong support for our schools. Instead, it indicates that the proposed referendum was not the right solution at this time,鈥 said KUSD Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Weiss. 鈥淲e appreciate our community鈥檚 engagement, thoughtful questions, and commitment to our students throughout this process. Unfortunately, we must now make difficult decisions regarding potential reductions to programs, services and staffing to ensure a balanced budget for the coming school year.鈥
Moving forward, administrators and board members must make difficult decisions regarding budget reductions across the district. The district will also face further budget deficits in future school years.