Aug. 25, 2026
WESTBY, Wis. — The Westby Area School District Board of Education has voted to place a new operational referendum question on the upcoming ballot in November.
The proposed measure seeks to replace the district’s current operational referendum, which is now in its third and final year. Operational referendums grant school districts the authority to exceed state-calculated revenue limits, commonly referred to as budget caps, in order to maintain staff levels and school program.
Under the new proposal, the district is requesting voter approval to exceed its revenue limit by $1.6 million for the 2027-28 school year, $1.7 million for 2028-29, and $1.8 million for 2029-30. The district’s current referendum exceeds the state budget limit by $1.2 million annually. According to the school district, despite the requested budget increases, local school taxes and property tax mill rates are projected to decrease over the next three years even if the referendum is approved by voters. District officials attributed the tax drop to the scheduled retirement of existing school district debt in 2027.
If voters approve the referendum, property taxes on a district home valued at $200,000 are projected to decrease by $74 in the first year. Taxes on a home of the same value would decrease by $42 in the second year and $52 in the third year. The district’s current property tax mill rate stands at $6.67. If the measure passes, the mill rate—used to calculate property taxes—is projected to decrease to $6.30 in the first year, $6.09 in the second year, and $5.83 in the third year.
School district officials stated that the additional funding is necessary to sustain the current level of academic and extracurricular offerings that local families expect.
“We hope to maintain the current level of programming our community has come to expect,” the district said in an announcement. Officials added that they will continue to share detailed information regarding the referendum with the community over the coming months.
The Westby Area School District district serves a total student enrollment of approximately 1,150 across four schools: Westby Area High School, Westby Area Middle School, Westby Elementary School, and Coon Valley Elementary School.
Add comment