The Referenda

In this episode, Rob DeMeuse and I break down the Spring 2026 school referendums in Wisconsin, what it all means, and so on.

This is the last "Referenda" episode until the next school board cycle, so to keep up with my commentary on statewide and national education matters, subscribe to the School Perceptions podcast!

Bob Soldner joins me to talk about how "district reorganization" processes work -- when districts dissolve or multiple districts consolidate. What should community members know? What does the state require district leaders to take into consideration? What happens to property taxes?

TOTALLY UNRELATED TO UPCOMING ELECTIONS in any district!

But this is where I look closely at Waukesha to see the sense that their recent structural and financial decisions have made, and to see how their constraints and affordances match up with our situation here in Tosa.

LINKS!

Waukesha's own planning process website (including links to enrollment reports, community engagement, etc.)

Jan 12th, 2026 Long-Range Budget forecast

Minutes from Waukesha's 11/12 board meeting where they voted to on a facilities-consolidation plan.

From Monday night, February 2nd -- there's also a video recording if you prefer. I mainly wanted to get some clean audio out in public.

Here are campaign websites for residents to visit -- in seating order, left to right, on Monday night:

Heather Birk

Liz Heimerl-Rolland

Todd Koehler

Melissa Lamers

Chris Merker

Dan Stemper

Jason Wautier

Lynne Woehrle

HOUSEKEEPING! There's a school board candidate forum happening Monday, March 2nd, 6:30-8:30 at Longfellow. If you can't make it in person, register for the Youtube livestream!

References in this episode:

Calarco, J. (2018). Negotiating Opportunities

Calarco, J. (2024). Holding It Together.

Daminger, A. (2025). What's on Her Mind?

Tuck your pants into your socks, nerds -- We're going into the weeds on public finance, budgeting processes, democratic involvement, and community building!

This is a conversation with CUNY's Celina Su, author of the newly-released Budget Justice: On Building Grassroots Politics and Solidarities, and Seton Hall's Dave Backer, whose As Public As Possible: Radical Finance for America's Public Schools.

There are more ways, it turns out, for us to learn about and participate in our local government's budgeting and auditing processes.

CORRECTION: At one point in this episode, I say that the 2024 operating ref was "2m for curriculum, 8m for teachers, and 54.4m" to cover deficits. 8m for teachers is correct, but it was 4m for curriculum and 52.4m for deficits.

This episode reviews some basic facts about these three important issues and what our conversations around them are like. The major goal is to help community members and school board candidates better articulate their positions. Everyone is for improving district finances, or for academic progress, or for teachers. Do we all mean the same things, though?

LINKS:

Tosa 2075 task force report

Secondary ad-hoc facilities page.

**FINANCES**

Wisconsin DPI all-staff (salary) report portal

Wisconsin DPI comparative cost data

Wisconsin DPI comparative revenue data

WSD's financial transparency site (through ClearGov.com)

WSD's budget and audit information

2024 budget error records, part 1 and part 2

WSD's 2024 Referendum Site (incl survey results)

WSD's 2024 Referendum Progress Reporting

**ACADEMIC PROGRESS**

Tosa's report card page

Statewide ACT/Forward data

**TEACHERS**

Steven Brill's "The Rubber Room" (2009)

Vlad Kogan's No Adult Left Behind (2025)

WPR piece on teachers' health-care costs (2025)

Statewide school funding data (2025)

LINKS to background information for the survey:

1.) The Tosa 2075 Task Force website.

2.) The Tosa 2075 final report.

3.) The district's long-range facilities plan (adopted 2024)

4.) The current ad-hoc facilities committee website, incl minutes and detailed model summaries (at the bottom).

5.) Secondary model summary spreadsheet.

6.) FAQs about the proposed models and processes.

7.) Analysis of learning spaces descriptions

LINKS:

Ad Hoc Committee page (scroll down for current models)

WI State Report Card weighting calculator

Growth Score calculation specs

Target Group Outcomes explanation

Tosa's district- and school-level report cards

Nativity Jesuit Academy's report card

Dr. Amanda Lewis is coming to Wauwatosa to give a talk based on her book, Despite the Best Intentions, whose 2nd edition just came out this year.

EVENT INFO:

Where: Underwood Elementary

When: Monday, October 20th, 6:30 to 8:00.

What: A talk, followed by a Q&A session.

If you'd like to pose a question to Dr. Lewis, send it to me here.