Strong Schools, Strong Communities, Strong Future - collage of images of Westfield students in football, theater, reading, mock trial, science experiments, pep band, marching band, biology in the creek and more

Student Learning, Essential Operations, Responsible Budgeting

Operational Referendum for Pioneer Values & Common-Sense Spending

On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the School District of Westfield is asking residents to consider a non-recurring operational referendum seeking $1.4 million per year for five years.

The referendum would maintain the essentials our residents expect schools to provide:

Reading. Writing. Math. Career skills. Strong teachers. Safe schools. Reliable transportation. Well-maintained buildings.

Residents in our communities value working hard, making do when you can, taking care of what you have and doing what's best for the next generation. They expect common-sense school spending that prioritizes what matters, protects what's essential and respects taxpayers. 

We agree. 

We know that money is tight. Families and seniors are paying more and making difficult choices. Our schools are facing those same rising costs. In the past two years alone, the district has cut $820,650 of recurring expenses from our rural budget.

School Year

Budget Reduction

2025-26

$393,650

2026-27

$427,000

Total Reduction

$820,650

That's why this referendum is not about expanding programs or funding wants. It's about essential needs and fiscal responsibility.

Good stewardship means planning ahead and acting responsibly — not kicking the can down the road.

Like any well-run business or household, our district needs to budget for ongoing maintenance, curriculum and technology updates and competitive wages.

Understanding the Two Referendum Types

Under Wisconsin law, capital referendum funds (brick-and-mortar) cannot legally be used for daily operational expenses, bus fuel, teacher salaries or learning supplies. Over the past three decades, state funding rules forced school districts statewide to manage these two needs separately:

REFERENDUM TYPES

WHAT IT PAYS FOR (THE NEED)

KEY WAY TO REMEMBER

Capital Referendum

(Passed November 2024)

Major facilities projects, such as building construction and large-scale repairs.

It's for "Bricks and Mortar."

Under the law, it cannot be used for daily expenses.

Operational Referendum

(Seeking in November 2026)

Daily expenses and resources to run the district, such as bus replacement, student educational programs, curriculum, staffing, utilities and insurance.

It's for "Kids and Programs."

It helps keep our doors open and programs running.

Community Information Sessions

Details coming soon

Frequently Asked Questions

Ask a Question, Submit Feedback

Submit a Question

When & Where to Vote

Election Day & Absentee Voting

Gratitude for Community Support

We are incredibly grateful for the community's overwhelming support in the November 2024 Capital Referendum (Bricks & Mortar) . This commitment allowed us to address critical, high-priority, district-wide capital maintenance needs.

We are legally restricted from using these capital funds for Operational Referendum (Kids & Learning) needs.

See our Progress
Budget & Finance Information

If approved, the November 3 operational referendum will be used for:

Student Learning: Back to the basics. Forward to future careers. Prepare all students for what's next, from the “three Rs,” with targeted assistance for struggling learners, to skills for trades, college and jobs needed at home and beyond.

Essential Operations. Staff. Transportation. Utilities. Safety. Keep high-performing teachers and staff and maintain basic services, replacing aging buses to safely transport students across nearly 300 miles.

Responsible Budgeting. Plan ahead. Maintain what we have. Spend wisely. Budget for curriculum updates, technology needs, bus replacement and ongoing maintenance instead of waiting for problems to become emergencies.

Essential Operations: Replace Our Aging Buses and Vans

Slider is playing
bus conditions

Rising Transportation Costs

add

The cost to replace aging buses and vans is rising higher than inflation.

The Wisconsin Association of School Boards said a new school bus cost $59,479 in 2006 for one of the state's rural districts. By 2025, that same purchase cost $127,383, a 114% increase. By comparison, the average cost of goods rose about 60% during that period. Fuel costs also have risen.

Tax Impact

Keeping Rates Below the State Average

If approved, the estimated tax impact for the school district portion of your taxes would be 50 cents per $1,000 of fair market property value.

The District’s current school tax rate is $5.85 per $1,000 — well below the Wisconsin K-12 state average of $7.09. Even with the proposed operational adjustment, the tax rate is estimated to rise to $6.35, remaining lower than the state average.

Fair Market
Property Value

Estimated
Annual Increase

Estimated
Monthly Increase

$100,000

$50

$4.17

$200,000

$100

$8.33

$300,000

$150

$12.50

$400,000

$200

$16.67

$500,000

$250

$20.83

Tax Calculator
Why Now?

We are proud of our 170-year tradition of providing community-centered education since our first school opened in 1856, growing to serve 22 municipalities across 288 square miles.

We have been carefully managing district resources, looking for efficiencies, reducing staffing and expenses where possible, and stretching every taxpayer dollar. In the past two years alone, the district has cut $820,650 of recurring expenses from our rural budget.

But we are facing a growing gap between what it costs to educate our students and the money the district receives to pay for it. State funding has not kept pace with inflation.

We can no longer cut our way out of the gap.

Under the current state school funding model, in five years, our total projected budget deficit (the gap between expenses and revenues) will reach between $6 million and $8 million dollars. The range depends on whether or not the state continues to provide a $325 per pupil revenue-limit increase.

This budget gap is driven by:

  • rising costs in health insurance, transportation, utilities, mandated curriculum and more

  • state revenue limits that have not kept pace with inflation for the past 17 years (since 2009)

  • a state aid formula that penalizes "property rich" districts

  • a two-year freeze on state general school aid from 2025 to 2027 that shifted costs to local taxes

Our district is projected to lose an additional $540,275 in general state aid next school year (a 14.07% drop).

Rather than relying on short-term fixes, depleting our savings or waiting for costly emergencies, this referendum allows the district to pay for essential costs and budget responsibly for transportation, curriculum, maintenance and other ongoing needs.

Self-reliance of our district communities. Glass with two pitchers pouring soda and ice the glass. The top of the glass represents state revenue limits that cap the maximum money districts can receive from the combination of state aid and local taxes. Westfield's glass is mostly filled with soda - local taxes that pay for 71% of the schools and minimal ice - state aid that pays for 29% of the schools.

Protecting Local Control Over Tax Dollars

State revenue limits cap the amount of money districts can receive from the combination of state aid and local taxes. Think of it like a glass of soda, with the soda represents local taxes and the ice is state aid.

School District of Westfield local taxpayers currently provide 71.2% of the money allowed under the revenue limit (the soda) while state aid provides only 28.8% (the ice).

Approving local operational funding allows our community to exert local control — ensuring our tax dollars stay here in our communities to directly benefit our students, schools and local economy.

30+ Years of Managing Local Needs & State Policy Shifts

The School District of Westfield has managed its budgets under 33 years of state revenue limits. Fiscal projections show this will no longer be possible without additional state or local aid. Westfield voters approved a referendum for facilities in 1994 and 30 years later in 2024. Westfield is asking voters on Nov. 3, 2026 to approve an operational referendum for the first time.

Learn More

Voter Information

Go to www.myvote.wi.gov to:

  • Find your polling place

  • See what’s on your ballot

  • Register to vote

  • Request your absentee ballot

Vote on Election Day, November 3, 2026, between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Questions: Contact your local municipal clerk for follow-up information or further details.

Ballot Question

Ballot Question: Shall the School District of Westfield, Marquette, Waushara and Adams Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $1,400,000 per year for five years, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year and ending with the 2030-2031 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational expenses related to transportation, staffing, academic programming, curriculum updates, and career/trade pathways?

Questions

Contact Your School District

Contact Your State Legislator