Appleton superintendent outlines $13 million in cuts if April referendum fails

Greg Hartjes, superintendent for the Appleton Area School District, said the district would cut $13,000,000 from next year’s budget if voters reject an operational referendum scheduled for April 7, 2026. “That’s the plan to cut $13,000,000 from our budget next year if the referendum does not pass,” he said.

Hartjes framed the proposed reductions as the district’s financial-crisis plan and described two scenarios developed with the Board of Education and administrative staff: a stabilization plan if the referendum passes (which would include an additional $2,000,000 for student supports) and the crisis plan if it fails. He said the crisis plan would require cuts across eight areas identified through a community survey and a board priority list.

Why it matters: Hartjes said the cuts would affect programs and services that support student learning across the district, potentially undoing recent academic gains. He highlighted that the district’s graduation rates and enrollment in AP and dual-enrollment courses have risen, and warned those improvements could be at risk without additional revenue.

Details of the proposed reductions: Hartjes outlined targeted savings in nonclassroom areas first, then deeper instructional impacts if necessary. Specific amounts he identified include about $1,400,000 from operations, technology and library/media services; $550,000 from facilities and energy savings; $1,000,000 from capital projects; $2,300,000 from leadership and professional supports (including roughly $1,000,000 in district-level administrative positions); $1,600,000 from support staff and substitutes; $400,000 in stipend reductions; and $2,500,000 from staffing that would increase class sizes and restrict some course offerings. He also listed $800,000 targeted at specialized pull-out programs (such as band and strings), $750,000 in curriculum and instructional-material reductions, and a proposed $700,000 (25%) reduction in co-curricular spending (from a roughly $2.8 million co-curricular budget).

Hartjes pointed to structural funding challenges as drivers of the shortfall: recent inflation rates that outpaced funding increases, a longstanding shortfall in state special-education reimbursement, and a per-pupil funding gap. “The state has been less than, 30% for many years, now is at 35% this year,” he said about the state’s special-education reimbursements, adding that state law calls for the state to cover roughly two-thirds of those costs. He also said the district is “funded at a $2,000 less per student than the state average.”

Hartjes described the district’s approach to sequencing cuts by priority level and said the financial crisis plan would be further reviewed and could change before the Board of Education votes on any final reductions. He closed by reminding viewers the referendum vote is set for April 7, 2026.

The Board of Education will discuss and may modify the crisis plan before any formal approvals or personnel changes occur.