Kenosha Unified faces multi‑million dollar gap after referendum fails; public presses board on special education, transparency

The Kenosha Unified School Board met in regular session to hear next steps after an operational referendum failed last week, leaving the district to identify tens of millions in budget reductions.

Superintendent: "Despite the proposed operational, referendum question on the ballot last week fell short of being approved, this outcome does not reflect a lack of support for Kenosha Unified or our students. Rather, it signals that the referendum is not the right solution at this time." The superintendent told the board administrators will review vacant positions, consider adjusting class sizes, restructure academies at Indian Trail into pathways, evaluate staff pay, and defer maintenance and technology updates as needed to balance next year’s budget.

Why it matters: The district must close a substantial structural gap and make early choices that can affect classroom programs and services.

Public commenters urged the board to minimize harm to students and improve district transparency. Valerie Kretchmer (citizen) said, "We need to focus on balancing the budget at KUSD. Administration has gone up by 25%, support staff by 34%, while student enrollment has dropped 20." She also asked for clarity on a $3,000,000 loan and questioned the advertised $9,000,000 annual cost savings from closing seven buildings and the planned division of sale proceeds with the city.

Carl Bridal (citizen) described the fiscal picture this way: "Tonight, we face the difficult reality that our referendum did not pass, leaving us with a $19,000,000 structural deficit that will require some difficult decisions." Bridal urged the board to rebuild trust through town halls and advisory committees, and to press state lawmakers for fuller school funding.

Karen Komponen (citizen, special education background) urged the board not to cut services for students with disabilities and invoked federal history: "Please show your own humanity by prioritizing the funding of special education services in KUSD." Komponen referenced the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), P.L. 94‑142, in describing why sustained advocacy matters.

Andreas Mamalakis (citizen) stressed restoring credibility and prioritizing reading instruction: "The first step, I would say, is restore credibility by seeing how you balance the budget now without money." He urged the board to protect extracurriculars that support emotional development.

Board response and constraints: Board members repeatedly noted the district’s limited options without new revenue. The board president reminded speakers that, "in alignment with state statute, board members will not reply to public comments unless they're related to an item properly noticed in tonight's agenda." Several board members emphasized the need for thoughtful cuts that minimize classroom harm.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (items a–d, including second reading of district reading goals and early literacy program): motion by Miss Lanner; seconded by Dr. Price; motion passed (voice vote; one nay recorded). - Policy 87‑12 (school board meeting agenda preparation and dissemination), second reading: motion by Mr. Tierney; seconded by Miss Landry; motion passed (voice vote; one nay recorded — Mrs. Adams). - Donations acceptance: motion by Miss Stevens; seconded by Mr. Tierney; motion passed (voice vote). - Head Start grant budget revision / 1.0 FTE educational support professional (see Head Start article for details): motion to approve by Dr. Price; seconded by Miss Stevens; motion passed (voice vote).

What’s next: The superintendent said staff will continue to develop options to close the projected gap and present proposals to the board in the coming weeks. Several public speakers and board members urged near‑term public engagement on priority tradeoffs.