Election Day: April 7, 2026
Addressing Our Needs
In the Menasha Joint School District, we take pride in providing our students with an excellent education that puts them on a path to success beyond the classroom.
However, providing our students and staff with the resources and learning environment they need is challenging due to the financial constraints we face. These challenges include insufficient state aid, increasing expenses, unfunded state and federal mandates, and declining enrollment, among others.
State aid has not kept pace with inflation for several years. If state aid had risen in line with inflation since 2009, we would have received about $3,500 more per student in the current school year, which is an additional $11 million of spendable revenue.
Proposed Solution
On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, voters in our community will consider approving a non-recurring operational referendum question for the Menasha Joint School District. This measure would allow the district to exceed our state-imposed revenue limit by $6 million annually through the end of the 2031-32 school year.
We faced a budget deficit of nearly $2 million ahead of the current school year, but the Board of Education chose to use federal funds on hand from the Inflation Reduction Act to cover the shortfall. Financial projections show we must still contend with annual deficits averaging $7 million per year for the next six years.
The board has taken steps to reduce spending. In recent years, difficult decisions were made to close two elementary schools, reduce full-time staff by 39 positions, end some staff stipends, and modify health benefits for employees.
The funding afforded by the proposed referendum will ensure we can avoid significant cuts to programs, services, and staffing—and continue providing the high-quality educational experience our community expects.
Property Tax Impact
An approved referendum would have an estimated annual school district property tax increase of $5 for every $100,000 of property value. This would equate to an average increase of approximately $12.50 per year above the current tax rate for a property valued at $250,000.
