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Siren board votes to place four-year, $750,000-per-year operating referendum on November ballot
Summary
The Siren School District board voted to place a binding question on the November ballot asking voters to authorize an annual $750,000 operating levy for four years, limited to educational operating expenses and not capital projects.
The Siren School District board voted on a resolution to place a referendum question on the November ballot that would authorize the district to exceed the revenue limit in section 121.9 of the Wisconsin statutes by $750,000 per year for four years for nonrecurring operating purposes.
Paulie moved to place the $750,000-per-year, four-year question on the ballot and Mindy seconded; the motion carried by voice vote. The board was told the money would be restricted to operational educational expenses and could not be used for capital improvements.
Board members discussed the rationale behind the dollar amount and the relationship between pupil counts (FTE) and state funding. Staff presented several scenarios showing the district’s fund balance trajectory under different levy levels and said the $1 million option would move the district into net-positive sooner, but the board chose the $750,000 question to present to voters now.
The board indicated the referendum would give the district time to pursue consolidation options and whole-grade sharing and to continue reviewing enrollment and expenditure assumptions before committing to future levies. The resolution and ballot language as read at the meeting will be the question sent to voters in November.
