MILWAUKEE — A referendum to raise city property taxes will appear on the April 2 election ballot in an effort to avoid a financial crisis at Milwaukee Public Schools.
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors voted in favor of placing a referendum on the ballot during a special meeting on Thursday, 1/11/2024.
The referendum will ask voters for $252 million in additional funding over four years. Homeowners would expect to pay an estimated $216 per $100,000 of assessed property value in the first year only. Taxes would remain flat in future years.Â
The vote during Thursday night’s special meeting comes after the board adopted a resolution to explore the tax referendum in December. Most board members voted in favor on Thursday, with board member Aisha Carr abstaining and board member Darryl Jackson voting against it. Those who voted in favor said they have not gained support from lawmakers after fighting for years at the state level to secure more funding.
The board said they chose the middle of three referendum options — it would exceed the revenue limit by $140 million for the 2024-25 school year and would phase in revenue limit increases until reaching $252 million for the 2027-28 school year and thereafter. Â
MPS Board President Marva Herndon said at the board meeting that MPS is facing a budget deficit of $200 million for 2025. Furthermore, according to state-level recommendations, MPS students with disabilities are underfunded by the state by at least $50 million each year.
Presdident Herndon added that MPS would have more than $210 million in additional support if state funding had matched inflation. Per pupil funding has not mathced inflation for at least the past 15 years.