News of the Day October 30, 2026
More than 70 Wisconsin School Districts Seek $1.6 Billion in Referendums on Election Day

Many Wisconsin voters will again be asked to approve tax increases for their local public schools on Tuesday’s ballot.

There are 79 school referendums on the November 3 ballot in 72 different school districts. In total, they will decide on $1.6 billion in operational and capital referendums.

Public school officials say state-imposed revenue limits make it impossible for districts to fund day-to-day operations. But opponents say school districts receive more than $18,000 per pupil — slightly above national averages — so the problem is how that money is being spent.

Green Bay, Middleton-Cross Plains and Janesville have the three largest operating referendums on the ballots this year at  $158 million, $119 million and $98 million, respectively. All three are non-recurring.

There are 16 school districts that had a failed referendum in April and are trying again on Tuesday.

In April, more than 60 percent of school districts saw their referendums approved. But polling shows voter fatigue.

In March, when the Marquette Law School Poll asked if people would be inclined to vote for or against a school referendum, 51 percent said no, while 48 percent voted yes. That changed from June 2025 when 46 percent of people said no and 52 percent said yes.