Learn More

QUESTION #1 - OPERATIONAL:

Shall the School District of Princeton, Green Lake and Marquette Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $575,000 for the 2027-2028 school year and by $1,200,000 per year for three years, beginning with the 2028-2029 school year and ending with the 2030-2031 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of costs associated with educational programming and staffing, ongoing maintenance and operations?

QUESTION #2 - FACILITIES:

Shall the School District of Princeton, Green Lake and Marquette Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $14,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school facility improvement project consisting of:  district-wide safety and security improvements, including construction of secure entrances, building systems, infrastructure and capital maintenance improvements; renovations to instructional spaces; site and track improvements; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?

Operational Referendum

An operational referendum asks voters to approve additional funding above the District’s annual revenue limit to support ongoing operational needs such as:

• Educational programming

• Student services

• Staffing

• Class sizes

These funds are used within the annual operating budget.

Facility (Bond) Referendum

A facility referendum asks voters to approve borrowing for larger capital investments such as:

• Building improvements

• Safety and security upgrades

• Infrastructure repairs

• Major equipment and systems

These projects are typically funded over time through borrowing, similar to financing a home or major renovation.

Like many districts across Wisconsin, Princeton continues to face increasing financial pressures related to both operations and facility maintenance. Wisconsin school districts must receive voter approval through referendum to exceed state-imposed revenue limits or borrow for major capital improvements.

The facility assessment is a comprehensive review of the District’s buildings, grounds, and major systems — from site conditions to rooftops and everything in between.

The process included the following steps:

• Identify and prioritize facility needs

• Develop realistic cost estimates

• Evaluate potential funding options

• Gather input from staff, students, and the community

This information helped the District and School Board develop a practical, responsible long-term plan focused on Princeton’s highest priorities.

The District partnered with Nexus Solutions, a Wisconsin-based firm specializing in school facility planning, funding strategies, design, and construction management.

Nexus worked with teachers, staff, students, families, businesses, and community members to better understand:

• What makes Princeton special

• What is working well today

• Where challenges and opportunities may exist

State funding for Wisconsin schools has not consistently kept pace with inflation and rising operational costs, creating increasing financial pressure for many districts across the state.

As a result, many school districts have turned to operational and facility referendums to address:

• Aging facilities

• Deferred maintenance

• Educational programming needs

• Rising operational expenses
  
  LEARN MORE: SEE SCHOOL FUNDING VIDEO BELOW

Question 1 - Operational: The proposed referendum provides $575,000 in 2027–28 and $1.2 million annually in 2028–29, 2029–30 and 2030–31. Estimated maximum tax impact: approximately $0.78 per $1,000, or $6.50/month per $100,000.

Question 2 - Facilities: Estimated maximum tax impact: approximately $1.43 per $1,000, or $11.92/month per $100,000 of property value.

Combined Financial Impact

If both referendum questions are approved:

• Maximum estimated combined impact: approximately $2.21 per $1,000

• $100,000 property: $18.42/month

• $200,000 property: $36.83/month

• $300,000 property: $55.25/month

These are maximum planning estimates. Actual impacts may vary based on property values, state aid, interest rates and borrowing timing.

If both referendums are approved, the estimated maximum District mill rate would be $7.35—about 11.6% below the 2020–21 rate of $8.31 and nearly 20% below the 2017–18 rate of $9.10.

Wisconsin farmland that qualifies for agricultural-use assessment is generally assessed based on its agricultural use value—not its potential sale or development value. The value reflects the productivity and income-producing capability of the land. Farm residences, buildings, and non-agricultural portions of the property are assessed separately.

Because every farm contains a different combination of agricultural land, buildings, residences, and other property classifications, property owners should use the property’s equalized value identified on their property tax bill, not the estimated fair-market-value, to estimate the individual impact. Property owners should consult their local assessor or the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for questions about their specific assessment.

The School Tax Calculation:

Equalized value × (applicable school district mill rate ÷ 1,000) = estimated gross school-district tax

Note: This serves to estimate the school-district portion of the property tax before applicable credits, adjustments, or other components of the total tax bill.

The preliminary breakdown of how the referendum dollars would be allocated for the facilities projects are as follows:

• Mechanical and Plumbing, 17%

• Electrical and Safety, 9%

• Building Envelope, 13%

• Site & Civil (Track), 8%

• Interiors & Equipment, 20%

• Educational Adequacy Updates 33%

These are estimated percentages based on our thorough facility assessment and preliminary budgets. If the referendum is approved on November 3rd, a 6-9 month design phase would follow. Once the design is complete all work will be competitively bid

The District has consistently worked within its available resources, addressed projects through its annual budget whenever possible, and has not asked voters to support major facility improvements in approximately 30 years. It has responsibly used the additional levy authority approved in 2022 to attract and retain high-quality staff, maintain educational programming, and protect services for students. Even with only approximately $40,000–$70,000 available annually for maintenance, the District has continued addressing repairs and improvements while carefully prioritizing larger needs it could not afford. The proposed operational and facilities referenda continue that approach by clearly defining how funds would be used and focusing taxpayer dollars on essential needs rather than wants.

The District and School Board recognize and respect that rising costs affect families and businesses throughout the community, and the School District is no different. The District has addressed needs within its existing budget whenever possible and has not asked voters to support major facility improvements in approximately 30 years, but state-imposed revenue limits have not kept pace with the cost of maintaining programs, staffing, student services, and facilities. The operational referendum would help protect essential programs and improve financial stability, while the facilities referendum would address priority building needs that can no longer be responsibly deferred. Acting now represents a practical solution for Princeton—addressing both challenges responsibly before further budget reductions, emergency repairs, or higher costs become unavoidable.

The District has worked to address needs within its existing resources and has not asked the community to support major facility improvements in approximately 30 years. It also remains grateful for the operational support voters approved in 2022, which has been used responsibly to maintain high-quality staff, educational programs, and student services.

If the operational referendum (question 1) is not approved, the District will not have sufficient revenue to maintain these priorities, routine maintenance, and financial stability without further budget reductions or costly short-term borrowing.

If the facilities referendum (question 2) is not approved, identified building needs will remain, requiring projects to be delayed, limited repairs to be made as funds allow, or dollars to be redirected from classrooms and operations to address urgent failures.

Because state law limits school district revenue and requires voter approval for significant borrowing, there is no other funding source capable of addressing needs of this size; delaying action would mean fewer options, greater disruption, and potentially higher costs in the future.

• The last roofing projects took place in 2023 and 2024 and those replaced some of the white roof sections north of and around the High School Gym through Custofoam.  These sections are not included in the scope or budgeting for the referendum scope.

• The sloped roofing sections of the 1997 IMC, 1991 Elementary Gym and the 1960 High School Gym are also not included.

• Approximately half of the remaining highest priority white roofing sections installed in 1995 through 2006 are included in the referendum scope.

If correctly installed and if resurfaced every 8-15 years, a track can last up to 30 years. The Princeton track was first constructed in 1997 and was resurfaced once in 2010 (16 years ago).  This spring our track will be 30 years old and is due to be replaced. 

The track surface, long jump, triple jump and pole vault runways are not only in poor condition due to age, they also do not meet WIAA standards. As a result, Princeton is not allowed to host track meets until the track is compliant. In addition, the track is outward pitching which is not preferred for drainage and there is an approximate three-foot elevation difference from one end of the track to the other. 

Based on recommendation from a civil engineer, the track needs to be reconstructed to include base and asphalt, and to pitch the track inward to promote positive drainage. The design would also include a new drainage system within the field to collect stormwater.  The long jump, triple jump and pole vault runways and landings would also be addressed.

To help ensure student safety during practice and competition and provide opportunities for the district and community to host track meets again, the Board of Education has included this project in the referendum scope. The track improvements are approximately 8% of the total estimated project and are projected to last 30 years with resurfacing at the appropriate time frames.