(The Center Square) – Madison voters appear to have approved of a pair of school funding levy referenda worth a total of $600 million.
As of 9:42 p.m., 69% of voters had approved of a school funding referendum for a cumulative $100 million in operational funding over four years while 71.5% of voters approved of $500 million in bonds for school buildings and infrastructure with nearly 74% of the precincts reporting results.
Statewide voters appear to have supported a referendum meant to prevent non-citizens from voting with 70% supporting the referendum with 53% of the statewide votes counted.
Currently, the Wisconsin constitution states that “Every United States citizen age 18 or older who is a resident of an election district” is a qualified voter; the ballot proposal would replace the phrase “every United States citizen” with “only a United States citizen.”
The Madison schools referenda came despite a $23.4 million funding increase in state aid this year.
Voters also faced a $22 million Madison city referendum. With 65.2% of the vote counted, 56.7% of voters approved of the referendum.
If all three passed, Madison taxpayers with an average home valued at $457,000 would owe $549 in addition taxes in the first year ramping up to $1,600 in additional taxes by the fourth year.
The Madison school referenda were part of 137 school referendum questions combined for local school districts across the state of Wisconsin. Those included 57 for a temporary increase in the district’s taxing limit and 22 will ask for a permanent increase.
“Wisconsin families value public education and understand our schools need sustainable funding to keep the lights on and provide a high-quality education to our kids,” Wisconsin State Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement on Tuesday night. “At the same time, they understand this responsibility should not disproportionately fall on local taxpayers.
“Our state legislature has severely underfunded public schools for well over a decade, and it has led to a record number of districts going to referendum to try and fix severe financial constraints on their own. Too many communities were forced to vote Tuesday whether to increase property taxes just so their local schools can pay staff, heat and cool their buildings, and provide a quality education.”
