2026 Operating Referendum

2026 Operating Referendum

On April 7, 2026, voters in the Prairie du Chien School District will be asked to consider an operational referendum.

The State of Wisconsin school funding formula operates differently than a household or business budget. In Wisconsin, school funding is based on a shared-cost formula that combines local property taxes and state aid.

Local taxpayer support directly affects how much state funding Prairie du Chien receives. Because state aid is tied to district spending, when local funding decreases, state aid may decrease as well.

 When Prairie du Chien cannot generate its local share, the district receives less state funding, and those dollars are distributed through the state formula to other districts.

Local support helps Prairie du Chien students receive their full share of state funding.

What Happens When A District Makes Cuts

In Wisconsin, state aid is tied to district spending through the shared-cost funding formula.

When a school district reduces expenses:

• District spending decreases
• State aid is recalculated
• The district receives less state funding

Budget cuts do not result in dollar-for-dollar savings. When Prairie du Chien reduces spending, the district may also receive less state aid, limiting the overall financial impact of those reductions.

Without local taxpayer support, the district’s long-term financial challenges remain.

Understanding the School District Mill Rate

The mill rate is the amount of property tax paid per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value.

The school district mill rate is only one portion of the total property tax bill, which also includes city or town, county, and technical college taxes.

School district mill rates can change from year to year based on:

• State funding levels
•  Property values within the district
• The district’s operational needs

The chart shows Prairie du Chien’s historical and projected school district mill rate if the referendum is successful, along with comparisons to regional and statewide averages.

If the Prairie du Chien School District does not continue in their current state, the DPI allows for consolidation or dissolution.

The residents of the Prairie du Chien School District would still have a public school district in which they would pay property taxes. This could mean paying a higher mill rate then they are currently paying.

Consolidation or dissolution would mean combining with one or more school districts to create a new school district.