2026 Referendum

Dear Dodgeville School District Community,

Over the summer, we listened to our community. You shared what you wanted to see from your schools — clearer information, more transparency, and strong results for students. That feedback is guiding our work.

You asked for a way to see what is happening in the district. We created a community dashboard that shares district priorities, student data, and progress. We also now provide more detailed Board agendas and publish recorded meetings on our website so people can stay informed.

You wanted to better understand our budget and how money is spent. We are sharing more information about district expenses and the impacts decisions are having on our financial stability moving forward.

You also asked to see stronger student results. We are encouraged by progress. Our students have improved ACT and Advanced Placement results. This past year, Dodgeville students ranked in the top two in Southwest Wisconsin for ACT composite scores, and we earned a Bronze distinction as an AP Pacesetter school. Our Elementary School has three consecutive years of exceeding expectations and are getting higher percentages of students in meeting or advanced distinction on accountability measures while reducing the number of students needing personalized learning plans.

We are continuing to build stronger systems and make improvements so every student experiences high levels of learning.

Thank you for your partnership as we keep building a strong future for Dodgeville School District students.

Start here…Go anywhere!

How the Funds Would Be Used:

The proposed operating referendum, $2.5 million dollars for each of the next three years would provide stable funding support the day-to-day operations of the Dodgeville School District. The funding is designed to

address the following areas as outlined in the table below. As we move forward we will provide

monthly reports to the community so that we can analyze how we are utilizing the funds and

managing the district.

Breakdowns per category

Staff Development, Recruitment, Retention & Programming 43%

$3,220,904.00 total

$1,073,634.50 per year for 3 years

The largest portion of the referendum and directly supports students by ensuring they have access to skilled, caring adults every day. Funds would be used to:

Retain high-quality teachers and staff
Support professional development and staff stability
Maintain reasonable class sizes and student support services

Rankings when compared to the 31 schools in Southwest Wisconsin per Baird School Finance, December 2025:

- 25th in student per teacher ratio. 24 districts have fewer students per every teacher
- 27th in years of experience in the district. 26 districts have more experienced teachers in their classrooms.
- 21st in teacher salary. 20 districts compensate their teaching staff at a higher rate when comparing the median teacher salary.
- 18th in teachers salary & benefits. Districts directly around us are investing at least $6,363 more per year in their staff.

Strong schools depend on strong people, and this investment prioritizes the adults who work most closely with students so that they continue to work here rather than pursuing higher paying jobs with fewer students in which they are responsible for on a daily basis.

Finances for day to day business operations (Fund Balance) 21%

$1,576,773.00 total

$525,591.08 per year for 3 years

Over the past several years, the Dodgeville School District has actively reduced expenses and delayed spending in response to declining revenue and rising costs. These actions included staffing reductions, reduced budgets, and going without replacing needed resources. Many of our staff took on multiple job responsibilities to save the district expenses. While this approach helped the district manage short-term challenges, it is no longer a sustainable strategy.

This portion of the referendum supports:

Paying required operating expenses and bills on time
Maintaining available funds in order to pay monthly payrolls and unexpected expenses (fund balance).
Larger structural funding has been pushed to future years as we know now is not the right time to address those needs.
Rankings when compared to the 31 schools in Southwest Wisconsin per Baird School Finance, December 2025:
- 26th in educational expenses per student. 25 schools are spending more per student. The District spends $864 less per student in total expenses than the state average per student.
- 30th in total revenue per student. 29 schools are receiving more revenue per student. The District receives $2,721 less than the state average per student.

If the referendum does not pass, the district will still be required to meet its financial obligations. This would result in increased borrowing, higher interest costs, and a growing deficit that must be addressed in future budgets. The district is no longer able to cut positions or postpone technology and maintenance to pay the bills. We will be forced to go further into debt.

Technology for Teaching and Learning 17%

$1,312,386.00 total

$437,461.92 per year for 3 years

Technology is an essential component of modern instruction and learning. Referendum funds would support:

Student and staff instructional technology
Technology used to demonstrate learning and life readiness
Systems required to effectively deliver instruction

This ensures students and staff have reliable tools to support learning today and prepare for the future. On a monthly basis we report on our short range planning list and deferred maintenance expenses as well as keeping inventory on the life expectancy of our technology related devices.

Curriculum Updates and Replacement 8%

$603,500.00 total

$201,167 per year for 3 years

Curriculum must remain current and aligned to academic standards. Funds would be used for:

Renew subscriptions to our Math & Reading Curriculum at the Elementary and Middle School levels. These two resources will equate to $378,500.
Updating and replacing outdated instructional materials
Supporting learning across all grade levels and subject areas

This investment supports consistent, high-quality instructional resources for all learners.

Facility Maintenance, Repairs, and Replacements 4%

$300,000.00 total

$100,000.00 per year for 3 years

This funding supports the day-to-day upkeep of school buildings, including:

Routine maintenance. Most recently we had service that was needed for our heating units at the middle school. We were able to get the parts we needed and replace these with our internal team at a cheaper rate than having to hire an outside group to come in and replace these components. Routinely we report at the committee and board level on items that are needing repair or replacement.
Repairs and replacement of aging systems.
Preventative maintenance to avoid more costly repairs in the future.

Maintaining school facilities protects the community’s investment and supports safe, functional learning environments.

Elementary Playground Safety Improvements 3%

$250,000.00 total

$83,333.33 per year for 3 years

These funds address:

Safety concerns on the elementary school playground
Preparing the site so community fundraising efforts can support future facility updates

This approach prioritizes student safety while partnering with the community for long-term enhancements. Our team is in the process of researching grants and community donations to provide for the additional expenses so that we can address the safety concerns and get the updates needed for our Elementary School Playground.

Day-to-Day Instructional Supplies 3%

$236,438.00 total

$78,812.50 per year for 3 years

Instructional supplies are the everyday tools used in classrooms. Funds support:

Classroom learning materials
Supplies teachers use daily with students
Resources that directly support instruction and learning

These items are essential to providing meaningful educational experiences.

How much will the mill rate increase for the school portion of the property tax bill?

The school district mill rate is the portion of the property tax rate that funds school operations.

Current school mill rate: $5.65
Estimated school mill rate with an approved referendum: approximately $8.10
Increase: $2.45 per $1,000 of assessed property value

How This Impacts Property Owners

For every $1,000 of assessed property value, the school tax would increase by about $2.45 per year.

Estimated Examples (School Portion Only)

$100,000 property value: approximately $245 per year (~$21 per month)
$200,000 property value: approximately $490 per year (~$41 per month)
$250,000 property value: approximately $612 per year (~$51 per month)
$300,000 property value: approximately $735 per year (~$61 per month)

These figures are estimates and reflect only the school district portion of the tax bill.

Important Context for Property Owners

This change is only the school district portion of property taxes.
Other portions of the tax bill (municipal, county, technical college) are separate.
Property values are set by the municipality, not the school district.

After 3 years, what is the plan?

1. Strategic Plan Priorities That Drive Community Growth
The work outlined in our strategic plan is not just about schools — it also strengthens the community. As we continue to improve learning opportunities, student experiences, and program offerings, we expect to see:

More families choosing Dodgeville for its schools
Growth in the local tax base, which spreads the tax responsibility across more households
Increased district revenue tied to higher enrollment

2. Growing Enrollment Through Innovation – SEEING Forward Charter School
We secured a grant to launch the SEEING Forward Charter School, designed to serve as both:

A program that better meets the needs of our current students
A recruitment model to attract students from within driving distance

This program helps reduce the number of students leaving the district for alternative options while also bringing new students into Dodgeville. Retaining and attracting students directly strengthens district revenue.

3. Responsible Staffing Adjustments
Over the past four years, student enrollment has declined at an average rate of 1.8% per year. During that same time, district staffing has been reduced at a rate of 3.0% per year.
This means staffing has been reduced at a greater rate than student enrollment over the past few four years, demonstrating our commitment to operating efficiently while still protecting student learning. We will continue to make necessary staffing adjustments and report those shifts transparently at the board level.

What happens if the referendum fails?

1. The district will be required to borrow money to pay for the operational expenses required to operate the school and pay interest on the borrowed money.

2. The community would need to accept that they would not be able to compensate their educators a competitive wage. Current projections are that schools around the Dodgeville School District will be compensating their staff with a 2.63% increase next year. Our staff would need to expect no additional increase in compensation. 20 Districts around the Dodgeville School District already are compensating their median teacher at higher rates and 24 Districts already have fewer students in every classroom. We risk losing the educators we've been investing in and they have been investing in our students in return.

3. Our expenses will exceed our revenue resulting in the little bit of fund balance that we have remaining to be eliminated. A larger discussion on this topic will be occurring in the Finance Committee meetings on a monthly basis.

Why is the district pursing the SEEING Forward Charter School?

In May 2025, we were awarded a grant worth up to $1.1 million dollars to invest in the start up, staffing, and programming over the next five years. We have

Here are the key points:

The Challenge We Are Facing

Enrollment has gradually declined
Costs for operations continue to rise
Many district expenses (buildings, transportation, utilities, core staffing) do not shrink as quickly as enrollment
When students leave, the funding connected to those students leaves as well

A Limitation of Our Current Online Program

We already offer an internal online learning option
Investments were needed to make improvements to this programming
Students from neighboring districts cannot enroll in that program
- That means we cannot bring new students into the district through this pathway

How a Charter School Changes That

A public charter school does the following:

Allow us to utilize the grant to make improvements to our internal alternative education programming
Allow students from nearby districts to enroll in our district and increases the state funding being allocated to our district → reducing the need for operational referendum
Give families seeking flexible, project-based, or non-traditional learning another option
Provide new opportunities for students currently enrolled in our schools

This Is Not an Open-Ended Commitment

The charter school operates within a four-year investment window

During that time, the district will evaluate:
- Enrollment growth
- Student outcomes
- Family interest
- Financial impact

If the program does not produce results, the district can close the school

What This Effort Is Really About

Providing more learning options for our students
Keeping families in our district
Attracting families who need different learning options
Strengthening the district’s financial foundation
Protecting programs for all students
Investing in a strategy that helps stabilize the district for the future

2025 Tax Bill Explained

I want to help explain what is happening on the school portion of the property tax bills you recently received.

One simplified strategy I use to understand the school funding formula is to refer back to family budgets. Early on, families often help cover a larger share of expenses to help their children get started. For example, if a child wanted to go out for a $20 pizza with friends, a family might initially give $20 before the child had income of their own. As the child gets older and begins earning money, they may only give $10 and have the child cover the remaining $10. The pizza is still $20, only the amount each person pays changes.

A similar shift is happening in school funding. According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s October 15 General Aid Certification, the Dodgeville School District’s state equalization aid decreased by $289,407 from last year to this year. Within the state funding formula, this means a larger share of the same school funding must now be covered locally through property taxes rather than by state aid.

This reflects a change in who pays the bill, not an increase in what the school district receives.

Changes in individual tax bills are influenced by several factors, many of which are outside the school district’s control, including state aid levels, state tax credits, and property assessments set by municipalities.

A lower school tax rate does not always result in a lower bill, because multiple factors interact to determine the final amount. For example (before state tax credits are applied):

$250,000 assessed value at a mill rate of $5.80 equates to a tax of $1450.00

$270,000 assessed value at a mill rate of $5.65 equates to a tax of $1525.50

The second example has a higher assessed value with a lower mill rate; however the amount of tax increased.

I am always happy to help community members review their tax bills and understand how each part contributes to the final amount. I encourage you to reach out to your local municipality representatives to better understand the local decisions.

I have also included both Howard Marklein and Todd Novak in this communication as I believe we are all partners in helping our communities understand how public dollars are raised and spent as we continue to support education in Southwest Wisconsin.

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