Listen: Kenosha Unified Considers School Referendum Amid Budget Challenges
Kenosha, WI (WLIP)_-The Kenosha Unified School District is exploring the possibility of an operational referendum to address a growing $19 million budget deficit for the 2025-2026 school year.
Superintendent Dr. Jeffery Weiss explained to WLIP’s Happenings Q and A that the district’s financial challenges stem from a combination of declining enrollment and state funding that hasn’t kept pace with inflation over the last decade.
In May, the district contracted the Donovan Group to assess the feasibility of a referendum.
Dr. Weiss noted that many other districts across the state are facing similar issues, with 149 of Wisconsin’s 421 districts seeking operational referendums this year.
The district has already undergone significant budget cuts, including school consolidations and staffing reductions, saving 10 million dollars annually.
Dr. Weiss emphasized that selling the recently shuttered schools would provide only a short-term fix.
The district will finalize its budget for this school year after receiving enrollment-based state aid figures in October and will send out a community survey, which could help shape the future of the referendum.
You can listen to the full interview below:
