EVANSVILLE — The Evansville Community School District will send its four-year, $21.2 million referendum question to the Nov. 3 ballot.
The Evansville Community School Board approved the referendum, which would be $5.3 million annually. Evansville’s current three-year, $8.7 million referendum expires at the end of 2026-27.
The Whitewater Unified School Board deferred its discussion on a referendum discussion after scheduling a special meeting this past Monday, Aug. 10. The board has scheduled another special meeting this Monday, Aug. 17.
It’s a scramble to get referendum questions approved if districts want them on the Nov. 3 ballot. The deadline to submit questions so they are on the Nov. 3 ballot is Aug. 25. Districts cite the midterms as a reason for having referendums on November ballots, as they generally yield higher turnouts than in elections in other months.
Evansville District Administrator Nate Perry told The 69ÂÜÀò in early August that inflation now often outpaces the district’s revenues, which come from state and federal sources. The current referendum was scaled back after one had failed, so there is a planned $300,000 deficit for 2026-27 and if the proposed referendum were to succeed it would bring the district out of the red.
“Although no single solution will solve every financial issue, this referendum proposal is in line with the feedback we received from the community, and it will help preserve important educational programs and services, while reducing the need for significant budget cuts,†Perry said in the release.
If the November referendum doesn’t pass, Perry said there would be staff cuts but he anticipated the district would try again at a referendum in April 2027.
Whitewater’s current four-year, $17.6 million referendum is expiring after 2026-27.
The Whitewater board is considering four options, all would be four years in length: either $4.4 million annually, $5 million annually, $6 million annually or $7 million. The $4.4 million option wouldn’t change the annual property tax bill in the district. The $5 million option would lead to a $60 increase, a $176 increase for the $6 million option and a $292 increase for the $7 million option.
Without approval of a referendum, Whitewater faces a $6.9 million deficit in the 2027-28 school year. Whitewater also cites rising operating costs and state revenue not keeping pace with expenses.
Whitewater is already planning $500,000 in cuts for 2026-27 and another $500,000 in 2027-28.
The Janesville School Board approved a four-year, $98 million question for the ballot Tuesday. Its current two-year $14.5 million referendum expires on June 30, 2027. The district’s revenue limit will escalate annually over the four years, if approved. The revenue limit would go up by $18.5 million in 2027-28, by $22.5 million for 2028-29, $26.5 million for 2029-30, and $30.5 million for 2030-31.