GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — While much of the attention Tuesday night was on the governor’s race and other key contests in Congress, there were also referendums on some ballots asking for millions of dollars.
Voters passed a four-year, $158 million referendum for the Green Bay Area Public School District.
It passed by about 4,000 votes Tuesday night.
District officials say the millions of dollars are needed because a previous referendum is expiring and because of declining enrollment, inflation and a state funding gap.
Green Bay is one of 72 Wisconsin school districts that went to referendum during the midterm elections.
“I think it’s a clear indicator that the funding system is broken and something needs to change, especially when many districts are facing declining enrollment, and that state revenue limit formula is based on declining enrollment,” GBAPS Chief Financial Officer Angie Roble said.
Approval of a referendum for Green Bay schools means paying for everyday school operations and preventing more cuts to programs and staffing.
This includes helping special education, maintaining programs, supporting classroom staffing and paying for everyday expenses like transportation and utilities.
Roble said referendum funding is key, since other funding sources cannot be used for these needs.
“So Green Bay is a big school district, so we do receive a lot of federal funding, but it can only be used for specific things. It’s allocated to specific students, and not to be used for general operating purposes,” Roble said.
Over the past few years, Green Bay schools has cut corners because of a lack in funding including consolidating buildings, reduced staff, redesigned health plans and more.
Now that it has passed, the district will not have to go to referendum again in the spring.
