PLEASE DIRECT INQUIRIES TO:
Mr. Samuel Karns, Superintendent
262-472-8700
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2026
Whitewater Unified School District to Host Referendum Information Sessions
Six informational sessions will provide opportunities to learn about the operational referendum and ask questions
WHITEWATER, WI — The Whitewater Unified School District will host six informational sessions in October to provide community members with information about the operational referendum on the November 3 ballot and opportunities to ask questions.
Superintendent Samuel Karns, and Director of Business Services, Bob Chady will host the sessions at the Whitewater Public Library, 431 W Center Street. Community members are invited to attend any of the following sessions:
October 1 at 6:30 p.m., Meeting Room 2
October 8 at 1:00 p.m., Meeting Room 2
October 9 at 9:30 a.m., Meeting Room 2
October 9 at 1:00 p.m., Meeting Room 2
October 12 at 9:30 a.m., Meeting Room 1
October 13 at 6:30 p.m., Meeting Room 2
The sessions will address the district’s financial needs, how referendum funding would be used, the estimated property tax impact, and potential effects if the referendum is not approved.
“We want our community members to have clear, accurate information about the operational referendum before they cast their ballots,” said Superintendent Samuel Karns. “These sessions will provide an opportunity for residents to learn more about the district’s financial situation, understand what the referendum would mean for our schools and taxpayers, and ask questions directly.”
The WUSD School Board approved a four-year, non-recurring operational referendum that will appear on the November 3 ballot. If approved by voters, the referendum would allow the district to exceed its state-imposed revenue limit by $5.5 million annually beginning in the 2027-28 school year and continuing through 2030-31.
The proposed funding would replace the district’s current four-year non-recurring operational referendum, $4.4 million annually, which voters approved in 2022 and expires at the end of the 2026-27 school year.
Referendum funding would help the district maintain student programs and academic opportunities, student support services, individualized instruction, intervention, reasonable class sizes and student-to-staff ratios, services for students with disabilities and other learning needs, as well as competitive staff compensation.
If approved, the estimated increase in the district’s mill rate would be an increase of approximately $0.40 per $1,000 of assessed property value over current rates. For a home valued at $300,000, the estimated property tax impact would be an increase of approximately $120 per year.
For more information about the proposed operational referendum and answers to frequently asked questions, visit www.whitewaterreferendum.org.
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