Wisconsin Education NewsApril 9, 2026A daily update of education news and events that are taking place around Wisconsin. Raymond School District’s facilities feasibility task force will hold its first meeting April 29, with 15 community members, parents, and staff already signed up. Superintendent Dr. Michael Leach saying the door remains open for more. Gillett, Lena school referenda fall short Referenda for the Lena and Gillett school districts fell short on Election Day on April 7 as efforts to exceed the state-mandated revenue limits failed. Lena’s referendum fell short by only 14 votes, 354-340, while Gillett’s referendum failed by an almost 2:1 margin with a vote tally of 944-482. Lena School District was asking for $6 million in additional funding over the next five years. In the first year, the district would need $1 million, which would grow $100,000 each year until the funding reached $1.4 million. Arrowhead High School community fights proposed teacher cuts Arrowhead Union High School in Hartland is facing community backlash as the district considers teacher cuts to balance its budget, sparking emotional protests during a heated school board meeting Wednesday night. “Life is not a participation award, aka filing away teachers so that the superintendent can sleep at night,” one speaker said during public comment. Prelim election results show school referendum passing, incumbents reelected WASHBURN COUNTY - Preliminary results from the Tuesday, April 7 spring election show the Shell Lake School referendum passing in a close vote, incumbents reelected and new County Board members elected. Property owners, lawmakers discuss school funding and property taxes STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) - Property owners, school district officials and lawmakers talked about the connection between property taxes and funding public education as schools continue to struggle to fund their classrooms while property taxes rise. A couple of dozen people gathered in Stevens Point on Wednesday night for a two-hour roundtable about the relationship between public school funding and property taxes. Parents, staff grapple with heartbreak as Hustisford Schools face closure after failed referendum HUSTISFORD, Wis. — The Hustisford School District is taking steps to dissolve after voters rejected an operational referendum, leaving the district in a precarious position. The district, which serves about 240 students in grades K-12, faces a $1.6 million deficit. The referendum would have helped the district stay afloat or consolidate for the next two years. 15 Western Wisconsin schools awarded more than $8K in tools CHIPPEWA VALLEY, Wis. (WEAU) - Wednesday night in the Chippewa Valley, a local nonprofit supported students going into the skilled trades and they did it with massive donations to local tech ed programs. Sparta school district voters reject $1.8M operational referendum SPARTA, Wis. (WKBT) — Sparta School District voters have rejected an operational referendum proposal that would have provided $1.8 million over three years to preserve student resources and co-curricular programs. The failed referendum forces the district to implement deeper budget cuts after years of financial reductions. Sparta Superintendent Sam Russ said the rejection will result in more significant cuts than originally planned. Augusta Area School District planning cuts as operational referendum fails AUGUSTA (WQOW) - After voters rejected an operational referendum on Tuesday's ballot, the Augusta Area School District is looking at other options to close a budget deficit and where cuts can be made. The voters turned down an operational referendum of $750,000 total over two years, with 56% voting no. Whitefish Bay school referendum fails by 302 votes WHITEFISH BAY, Wis. — Whitefish Bay voters struck down a $135.6 million ask by the school district. The referendum failed 52 to 48 percent. "I thought that the price was just a little bit on the high side," said Steven Ste. Marie, a Whitefish Bay resident. Lake Country voters approve school referendum. Now what? LAKE COUNTRY SCHOOL DISTRICT — A newly approved referendum in the Lake Country School District will provide short-term financial stability as leaders begin planning next steps, according to the district. Voters on Tuesday approved an operational referendum that will provide $800,000 annually for the next four years to maintain staffing and programs. Cornell School District looks ahead after referendum’s passing Cornell, Wis. (WEAU) -During Tuesday’s election, a capital referendum for the Cornell School District was passed. The $15 million referendum will be used to build a new smaller and more efficient high school due to plumbing, electrical and ventilation issues in the current building. Wisconsin school districts eye funding change after failed referendums PRAIRIE DU SAC, Wis. (WKOW) — Two school referendums failed in the Sauk Prairie School District, part of 29 defeats out of 75 school referendums on ballots across Wisconsin. Superintendent Jeff Wright said the district was upset by the results. The district needs upgrades in school programs and buildings, including the elementary school's power panels from 1967. Prairie du Chien voters approve school funding referendum after previous failures PRARIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (WKBT) -- After two failed attempts in the past year, Prairie du Chien voters have approved a new school funding referendum that will bring financial relief to the district. The measure allows the district to exceed state revenue limits by $975,000 per year for the next three years, beginning with the 2026–2027 school year. Student achievement takes center stage at school board meeting The Verona Area School District (VASD) Board of Education tackled a busy agenda on Monday, April 6, moving from celebrating students to discussing monitoring reports during its first meeting since a winter storm cancellation. Savanna Oaks Middle School and Verona Area High School (VAHS) are each sending a team to participate in the National African American History Academic Challenge after winning the regional competition. The national competition will take place in New York in June. Holmen school district's $22.6 million operational referendum passes HOLMEN, Wis. (WKBT) — The School District of Holmen's operational referendum passed Tuesday by a margin of 4,041 to 2,746, securing $22.6 million in funding over five years for programming, safety improvements and maintenance. Menasha school superintendent excited about referendum approval MENASHA, Wis. — Menasha Joint School District officials are excited about the approval of a funding referendum. A majority of voters said yes on Tuesday to allowing the district to exceed the state-mandated revenue cap by $6 million in each of the next six years for operations. Melrose-Mindoro School District passes first Operational Referendum since 2011 The School District of Melrose-Mindoro has passed its 2026 Operational Referendum on a vote of 867 in favor to 603 against. Fond du Lac school referendum fails by narrow margin FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WBAY) - The Fond du Lac School District’s $30 million referendum failed for the second consecutive year, falling short by less than 2% of the vote. The referendum would have funded security improvements and provided financial support for the district’s anticipated budget deficits in the coming years. The district fell just a few hundred votes short of passage. Dodgeland passes referendum by close margin JUNEAU — Dodgeland School District voters approved exceeding state-imposed spending limits by $700,000 each year for four years to maintain current staffing and programming levels. There were 798 votes or 52% for the referendum and 736 or 48%, against it. The total number of votes cast Tuesday was 1,532. Mellen voters approve $2 million school renovation referendum Voters in the School District of Mellen approved a $2 million facility improvement referendum Tuesday, ending a 25-year drought without a successful referendum in the district. The measure passed 352 to 250, with roughly 58% of voters in favor, according to unofficial results from Ashland County. The five-year referendum will fund a major renovation of the school building, costing the owner of a $200,000 home an estimated $310 per year, or about $25.83 a month. Altoona School District superintendent thanks voters for passing referendum ALTOONA, Wis. (WEAU) - The Superintendent of the School District of Altoona released a statement to community members following the passing of a referendum on the spring election ballot Tuesday. Raymond School adding staff for 26/27 school year, moving toward new math curriculum Raymond School District is restoring teaching positions it cut last year and adding new ones for the 2026-2027 school year. Superintendent Dr. Michael Leach said increased staffing will strengthen instruction and expand student opportunities. The staffing additions also set the stage for a new math curriculum the board is expected to vote on April 20. MADISON — The Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA) has named Jamie Thomas as the 2026 Middle School Principal of the Year. Thomas serves as principal of Indian Mound Middle School in the McFarland School District. There, she has focused on building a school culture rooted in belonging, equity, and continuous improvement, ensuring every student feels seen, supported, and challenged to succeed. Gilman School District Referendum passes after close vote GILMAN, Wis, (WQOW) – Gilman School District asked voters in Tuesday's election to approve of a $700,000 per year for four years referendum to replace the $900,000 per year referendum approved in 2022 that expired in 2025. MADISON — State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly released the following statement today, as 72 Wisconsin school districts held referendums in Tuesday’s spring general election. Baraboo voters reject $74 million school referendum BARABOO, Wis. (WKOW) — A $74 million capital referendum for the Baraboo School District did not pass in Tuesday's spring election. Prairie du Chien voters approve school funding referendum after previous failures PRARIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (WKBT) -- After two failed attempts in the past year, Prairie du Chien voters have approved a new school funding referendum that will bring financial relief to the district. The measure allows the district to exceed state revenue limits by $975,000 per year for the next three years, beginning with the 2026–2027 school year. ‘Careers in Construction' event gives Wisconsin students a chance to talk with skilled trade members MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Representatives from Wisconsin’s Building Trades Unions brought hands-on career training to the Madison area on Wednesday. The “Careers in Construction” event in Fitchburg gave high school students a chance to try out multiple skilled trades and talk directly with union members and industry partners. DeForest, Wisconsin - August (Augie) Munoz, 93, passed away on Thursday, March 26, 2026 at Bay Harbor Memory Care in DeForest. Born on August 7, 1932 on the small Pacific island and US Territory of Guam. He was the son of Jose and Elena (Garrido) Munoz. Fall River Earns WIAA Sportsmanship Award STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, in cooperation with Rural Mutual Insurance, has chosen the recipients of the team Sportsmanship Awards for the 2026 winter State Tournaments. The winners of the prestigious Sportsmanship Award are Reedsville in boys basketball, Fall River in girls basketball, Auburndale in team wrestling, Marshfield in gymnastics and River Falls Co-op in girls hockey. There was no recipient of the award for the State Boys Hockey Tournament.
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