Superior Residents Approve Five Year School Referendum

Superior residents voted to approve a referendum allowing the school district to exceed its revenue limits for the next five years.

The referendum asked Superior residents to pay extra in property taxes for the next five years to prevent the district from having to make further cuts to make up its budget deficit. The funding increases will be done on a sliding scale, starting at $2.5 million for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. By the fifth year, the school district will see a $5.5 million increase.

For taxpayers, the increase will be about $14 extra per year on a $200,000 home for the first two years. By the 2028-2029 school year, the property tax bump will be about $158 for the same home value.

Last week, the Superior School District approved two budget proposals depending on the outcome of the referendum vote. The district was forced to permanently close a school and lay off over 50 teachers and staff members in the last year due to its budget concerns.

School officials have cited rising inflation, declining enrollment, and the end of Covid-19 pandemic funding as the reason for the deficit. Those complaints have become common across Wisconsin, with 121 districts across the state proposing referendums on the November ballot.

For the Superior School District referendum, residents voted to approve it with nearly 54% of the vote. According to a Northern News Now report, district officials say the approved referendum could help them avoid making future cuts to staff and programs.