OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) – The Oshkosh Area School District is telling voters that they need to approve a $28 million referendum in April, or else.
The “or else” part is, according to district officials, that the district will close a middle school, combine some North and West high school sports – including football – into one team, suspend teachers’ raises and other steps to save money.
In a proposal released by the district’s 33-member budget reconciliation committee this week, district leaders say that includes $3.4 million in cuts for the 2016-17 school year and $4 million in cuts for the 2017-18 school year.
“If voters approve the referendum, those funds will be help us protect what we have in place for students, enable us to make school security improvements and support our strategic plan,” Superintendent Stan Mack said in a news release. “If voters do not approve the referendum, we need to be ready to make cuts starting next fall.”
The April 5 referendum asks voters to allow the school district to exceed state revenue limits by $4 million a year between the 2016-17 and 2022-23 school years. According to the district, the owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay an extra $83 per year in property taxes if the referendum is approved.
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(Additional reporting from FOX 11).
