Executive director Jamie Nutter tells Cuba City board the statewide "math problem" is driving referendums

Jamie Nutter, identified in the meeting as an executive director who consults with area districts, told the Cuba City School Board that a combination of revenue limits, rising costs and the loss of one‑time federal funding has left many school districts across Southwest Wisconsin turning to operating referendums.

Nutter told the board the district’s equalized property value stands at about $539 million and that the district’s operational revenue limit is roughly $7.6 million. He said the district’s three‑year average membership (the state’s method for counting students) is about 613 and used those figures to explain how the revenue limit and state aid interact. “More state aid doesn’t mean more money for the school to spend,” he said, arguing that what schools need is a higher revenue ceiling rather than only increased aid.

Why it matters: Nutter framed the issue as a regional fiscal problem, not a local mismanagement issue. He said 28 of 31 districts in Southwest Wisconsin have placed or plan to place operating referendums on the ballot to balance budgets after inflation, reduced base authority in some years, and the end of federal pandemic funding. He described recurring referendums as a way to “build the base” so districts avoid returning to voters every few years.

Details from the presentation: Nutter walked the board through how the district’s value‑per‑student and mill rate calculations work, noted that state aid and the school levy credit reduce local taxpayers’ share but do not raise a district’s revenue ceiling, and described how federal one‑time funds created a fiscal cliff when they ended. He contrasted recurring versus non‑recurring referenda, stressing that recurring authority raises a district’s base budget and reduces the need to ask voters again in short order.

Board response and next steps: Board members asked follow‑up questions about the state formula and about local options. The discussion shifted to how the district will communicate the referendum details to voters: information meetings, water‑bill inserts, flyers, newspaper coverage and targeted radio spots were all raised as options. A union representative offered to run radio spots and newspaper outreach; board members weighed whether to buy narrowly targeted radio time (for example during football or volleyball broadcasts) or broader packages. The board agreed to revisit communications in the next three weeks and to continue scheduling information sessions for residents.

What’s next: The district’s administrators and board planned additional listening sessions (one noted for Oct. 23 in Dickyville) and to finalize outreach materials and schedules before the vote.