Referendum

A: Our current $3.1 million operating referendum is set to expire at the end of the 2026–27 school year and represents approximately 19.5% of our operating funding.

Without a replacement for the expiring referendum, the annual budget will automatically DECREASE by approximately 19.5% for the first time since 2015, requiring significant budget cuts beginning in the 2027–28 school year. These cuts would likely impact educational opportunities for students, including some or all of the following: 

• Reductions in staffing, including teachers, support staff and administrators
• Increased class sizes due to teaching staff reductions
• Reductions in support services and enrichment opportunities for students
• Reductions in “specials” courses and athletic and co-curricular programs

A: Due to state law, the amount of total funding (from property taxes and state aid) school districts can levy is limited on a per-resident pupil (per-student) basis. State funding has not kept pace with inflation since 2009, requiring districts to seek approval from voters to exceed the state-imposed limits via referendum to meet rising costs.

In addition, Fox Point-Bayside and districts across the state continue to experience rising costs in every area of operation:

• Classroom supplies and instructional materials
• Special education and student services
• Employee salaries and benefits
• Utilities and transportation
• Facility maintenance
• Life-safety systems and infrastructure
• Property and liability insurance

The significant per-student gap in funding from the State, coupled with increasing operational costs and inflation, has led to a financial crisis for many school districts across Wisconsin.

Watch this video for a detailed explanation of State funding.

A: If approved, the District would be allowed to permanently exceed its state-imposed revenue limits, sustaining annual funding that will not expire. This would enable the District to maintain instructional programs, class sizes and school services, and to support the operational costs of running two schools.

A: If the referendum is rejected, the current operational referendum amount of $3.1 million will expire if not renewed by June 30, 2027. The District will be unable to replace this annual funding without making significant and long-lasting reductions to the budget, an estimated 19.5%.

These cuts would likely impact educational opportunities for students, including some or all of the following:

• Reductions in staffing, including teachers, support staff and administrators
• Increased class sizes due to teaching staff reductions
• Reductions in support services and enrichment opportunities for students
• Reductions in “specials” courses and athletic and co-curricular programs 

A: The net annual property tax impact is estimated to be $20 ($1.67 monthly) per $100,000 in assessed property value.

The impact on an average home assessed at $300,000 is estimated to be $60 ($5 monthly). 

This would not go into effect until the expiration of the current operating referendum in June 2027 and would be reflected in tax bills beginning December 2027.

A: Wisconsin law allows school districts to structure an operating referendum in one of two ways: non-recurring or recurring.

• A non-recurring referendum authorizes a time-bound tax increase. Under this option, the increase would appear on residents' tax bills only for the approved term, then expire automatically. 
•  A recurring referendum authorizes a tax increase that becomes a permanent part of our revenue limit going forward. Under this option, the increase would appear on residents' tax bills every year indefinitely, and we would not need to return to voters to continue that specific funding.

In the past, the District pursued time-bound referenda with sunsets every few years. As we look to the future, the School Board has chosen to place a question before voters that would replace the expiring referendum with a single, permanent increase to the tax levy, known as a recurring referendum, to provide more predictability to the taxpayer and provide long-term stability to the District’s operating budget.

A: Through careful budgeting, the District maintained students’ day-to-day educational experience while holding the operating referendum amount at $3.1 million for eight years, even as inflation and operational costs rose significantly.

The proposed $3.95 million amount is in response to increased inflation, rising costs, a decrease in state and federal funding, and the strong desire we heard from our community to maintain the Fox Point-Bayside educational experience for current and future students.

If approved, the referendum on the ballot this November would be a replacement to the prior tax impact, not an addition. For our current operational referendum, set to expire automatically following the 2026-27 school year, homeowners are currently paying $894 per year for every $100,000 of property taxes. If approved by voters on November 3, the net annual property tax impact is estimated to be $20 per $100,000 in assessed property value. This would not go into effect until the expiration of the current operating referendum in June 2027 and be reflected in tax bills beginning December 2027. 

A: We take our responsibility to be a strong steward of our community’s tax dollars and resources seriously.

We have been careful with expenditures, sought operational efficiencies and identified opportunities to share costs with our partner schools while prioritizing anything that directly impacts student experience.

In addition to funding from our current operational referendum, these efforts have allowed us to deliver the high-quality educational experience our community expects while staying competitive in attracting new families and retaining our amazing teachers and staff. 

A: In fall 2025, all Fox Point-Bayside households received a community survey seeking input on what our schools are doing well, where we need to improve and where we should focus our efforts over the next five years through priorities identified in our strategic plan, framework for our future.

The results were clear: community members strongly affirmed that the priorities identified in the strategic plan continue to reflect community values and expectations. A few highlights:

• Responses indicated strong community support for maintaining the programs, services and educational experience that have made Fox Point-Bayside one of Wisconsin's highest-performing school districts.
• Families told us they have strong confidence in the quality of our schools, with especially high agreement that our schools are safe and well-maintained (98%) 
• 95% of respondents agree or strongly agree that the District demonstrates exceptional confidence in teaching quality, high expectations and student growth.
• Fox Point-Bayside ranks in the 99th percentile among comparable districts for overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend to others

A: Visit our website, watch your mailbox for more information from the district, attend a referendum information open house, email us at referendum@foxbay.org or schedule an informational presentation for neighbors or community groups at referendum@foxbay.org.

A:Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, with polls open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wisconsin requires a photo ID to vote. Residents can find their polling place, check registration status and request an absentee ballot at myvote.wi.gov. 

In-person absentee voting typically begins on October 20, 2026, at the municipal clerk's office; absentee ballot requests must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. the Thursday before the election.