On August 17th, the Whitewater Unified School District School Board will continue their considerations on whether to place an operational referendum question on the November 3rd ballot.
The board is proactively considering options as the district’s current $4,400,000 operational referendum authority to exceed the revenue limit will expire at the end of the 2026-27 school year.
The board has discussed the possibility of renewing the operational referendum during public meetings over the past several months, including a June 22nd meeting focused on the district’s financial outlook and a special meeting on August 10th to review potential referendum scenarios. At its August 10th meeting, the board reviewed four potential operational referendum scenarios, each covering four years beginning with the 2027-28 school year:
- Renewing the current $4.4 million authority,
- A $5 million per year request, an increase of $600,000 over the current authority.
- A $6 million per year request, $1,600,000 over current authority, and
- A $7 million per year request, representing an increase of $2,600,000 over current
authority.
The board also reviewed budget forecasts, planned expenditure reductions, and estimated
property tax impacts associated with each scenario. To date, no final decision has been made
about whether a referendum will appear on the November ballot or, if so, the amount of the
proposed referendum.
In the absence of additional operating referendum support, current budget forecasts represent
an approximate $6,900,000 deficit in the 2027-28 school year with the current $4,400,000
authority expiring.
The discussion comes as WUSD faces rising operating costs and state revenue that has not
kept pace with those expenses.
At the same time, the district is planning additional spending reductions as part of its efforts to
manage its financial outlook. Current budget assumptions include $500,000 in reductions for
2026-27 and another $500,000 in 2027-28, totaling $1 million in reductions over two years.
“We have been discussing our financial situation and the possibility of an operational referendum publicly for several months, and there is still an important decision for the school board to make,” said Superintendent Samuel Karns. “Our goal throughout this process is to provide clear, factual information about the district’s financial needs, the options being considered, and their potential impact. If the board decides to move forward with a referendum, we will continue providing information and hold informational sessions for community members to ask questions.”
The board also reviewed the estimated property tax impact associated with each scenario, which is listed below in the table.
The board will give further consideration of the financial position of the district and potential operating referendum scenarios at their special meeting on August 17th. If the school board finds consensus regarding their position on this matter, district administration will work with the district’s legal counsel to prepare the respective resolutions for board consideration and action at their regular meeting on August 24th. Any such adopted operating referendum would then be advanced to the November 3rd election ballot.
If the board approves a referendum question for the November ballot, WUSD will provide additional information about the proposal and its financial impact. The district also plans to offer opportunities for residents to ask questions and participate in discussions in the months leading up to the election.
