Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Referendum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Granton Area School District board approves $1.25M-per-year referendum question, schedules April vote
Summary
The Granton Area School District board voted Jan. 12 to place a $1,250,000-per-year, five-year non-recurring referendum on the April 7, 2026 ballot and approved a $24,000 consulting contract to assist with planning and communications; one board member registered opposition to key motions.
The Granton Area School District School Board voted on Jan. 12 to place a proposed referendum asking voters to allow the district budget to exceed the state revenue limit by $1,250,000 per year for five years, beginning with the 2026–27 school year. The board also approved hiring the Donovan Group for referendum consulting, planning and communication for $24,000.
The resolution adopted by the board states that the district budget be "authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $1,250,000 per year for five years," with the referendum to be held at the regularly scheduled election on April 7, 2026. Douglas Eichten made the motion to pursue the larger amount; Erica Bender seconded. The voice vote carried, with board member Mark Elmhorst recording opposition to the motion.
The board subsequently approved a separate resolution directing the district clerk to call the referendum election on April 7 and to follow statutory notice, ballot preparation and canvass procedures, including filing required materials with county clerks and notifying the Department of Public Instruction. The resolution includes standard procedural directions such as publishing notices in the Tribune Record Gleaner and providing sample ballots or ballot labels where applicable.
Separately, the board authorized contracting with the Donovan Group for option 2 (Referendum Consulting, Planning, and Communication) including a single video, at a cost of $24,000. That contract motion was made by Douglas Eichten and seconded by Erica Bender; the voice vote carried with Mark Elmhorst opposed.
Next steps as described by the adopted resolutions include the district clerk publishing required notices, preparing ballots in accordance with state statute, coordinating absentee ballots where voting machines are used, and canvassing returns after the election. The board did not specify additional operational uses for the non-recurring funds beyond "operational expenses" in the resolution text.
