Operational Referendum Information 2025

Since 1992, Wisconsin school districts have been primarily funded by a combination of state aid and local property taxes. Each school district in Wisconsin has a revenue limit created by the state budget. This limit caps the amount of money a district can receive through state aid and local property taxes. A district’s revenue limit is directly linked to two things: enrollment and state-approved adjustments. In most cases across the state, the revenue limits have not kept pace with inflation. In 2009, the Wisconsin Legislature removed the adjustment for inflation in the revenue limit and caused a decrease in school funding.   

School boards can ask voters to pass an operating referendum. An operating referendum allows the district to raise its revenue limit authority.  Most districts in the state have used operating referendums to meet their budget challenges. 

The School District of Oakfield has had numerous Operating Referendums to ensure the financial stability of the district. We are in need of renewing our current operating referendum of $1.1 million in April of 2025.  

A school district can only place a referendum question on a ballot after going through an official process. The referendum process starts when a school board adopts a resolution to exceed the limit. The permission to exceed the revenue limit can be for either recurring or nonrecurring purposes, i.e., can continue indefinitely or be only for a set period. 

The school district clerk must then submit the referendum to voters at the next primary or general election, as long as at least 70 days pass between the resolution’s adoption and the election.  *Info provided by the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau

The school board plays a crucial role in crafting the referendum proposal, setting the funding amount, and determining how the additional funds will be allocated. Board members also communicate with the community to build support.

The word recurring means “occurring again periodically or repeatedly.” In a recurring referendum, there is an amount of dollars added each year in perpetuity.  The word non-recurring means “not occurring repeatedly or occurring one time only.” In a non-recurring referendum, the amount of dollars is added on a temporary basis (number of years specified).

School districts may initiate two types of referendums to increase funding. First, a district may hold a referendum to issue debt for a specified purpose. These are often referred to as “capital referenda,” because the funds are typically (but not always) for construction and other large capital projects. This is what the community of Oakfield so graciously supported in April of 2022 for the renovation and addition at the Middle School/High School as well as updates at the Elementary School. A capital referendum provides the authority to issue a certain amount of bonds/notes to pay for a capital project.

An operating referendum pays for things such as utilities, routine maintenance, salaries and benefits, supplies, etc. The goal in Oakfield is to not raise taxes but to maintain the funding at our current levels. The District will be seeking the renewal of our current operating referendum that allows us to levy up to $1.1 million dollars beyond the revenue limits.

Our current operating referendum will end at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. This new operational referendum will run for four years from 2025-2029.

April 1, 2025

School district residents can vote at their regular polling location on Tuesday, April 1. 2025. You can find voting and registration information at https://myvote.wi.gov/