Superior School Board Approves Two Budgets with Referendum

The Superior School Board voted to approve two budget proposals on Wednesday with a crucial referendum on the ballot next week.

According to a Northern News Now report, the school board was required to approve a 2025 budget by Thursday. With an uncertain funding future due to the operational referendum on the ballot next week, the school board decided to approve two budgets and wait until after the election to determine which one will be submitted to the state.

The referendum asks Superior residents to fund the school on a sliding scale for five years. The first increment would be a $2.5 million increase for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. The property tax hit would be about $14 more per year for the first two years on a $200,000 home.

The final increment of the referendum calls for a $5.5 million increase for the 2028-2029 school year. That increase would result in a property tax bump of $158 per year for a $200,000 home.

The Superior School District is one of many in Wisconsin with critical referendum funding on the ballot next week. Many school officials have reported struggles with declining enrollment, rising inflation, and the end of Covid-19 pandemic funding as the reason they’re turning to taxpayers so often in recent years.

Without adequate funding, the Superior School District was forced to permanently close a school and lay off more than 50 teachers and staff in the last year. Officials hope the to avoid further cuts if the referendum passes. Regardless of how that vote turns out, the school board is prepared to submit their final budget to the state.