Board of Education

A Blueprint for Brilliance
Evaluating our needs. Investing responsibly.

The Blueprint for Brilliance guides how the Little Chute Area School District plans for the future and serves students, employees, and the community. Operations, one of the Blueprint’s four Areas of Brilliance, focuses on responsible stewardship, long-term planning, and the thoughtful allocation of District resources.

The November 2026 referendum questions are the result of ongoing evaluation through the District’s Blueprint for Brilliance. The district hosted two exploration informational sessions in the summer to gather community input. After reviewing available resources, future projections, and priority needs, the Board approved two questions addressing technology and facility improvements.

The District will continue sharing clear information about the identified needs, proposed solutions, estimated tax impacts, and use of existing District resources.

Information Sessions

October 6, 5pm: Little Chute Village Civic Center/Rm N1N2
October 7, 8:15am: Elementary Library
October 7, 6pm: District Office Board Room, virtual session

November 3, 2026 REFERENDUM

The School Board Approved Resolutions for a November Referendum on August 10, 2026.

"Shall the Little Chute Area School District, Outagamie County, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statues, by $400,000 per year for five years, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year and ending with the 2031-2032 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational expenses for technology hardware, software, and infrastructure?"

"Shall the Little Chute Area School District, Outagamie County, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutues, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $1,950,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school facility improvement project consisting of: district building infrastructure and capital maintenance improvements, including roof repairs and replacement at all school buildings, asbestos abatement and related renovations at the High School, and air conditioning replacement at the Elementary School; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures, and equipment?"

Background

We are grateful to the Little Chute community for the years of support through non-recurring operational referendums and capital referendums. Below is the recent history of approved referendums. Please note the current non-recurring referendum allows for $300,000 for 5 years. 2026-27 is the last year of that referendum.

Feb 2007 $200,000 Non-Recurring Referendum for technology
Feb 2007 $9.7M debt issue (paid off)
April 2012 $355,000 Non-Recurring Referendum for technology
April 2017 $275,000 Non-Recurring Referendum for technology
April 2017 $17.77M debt issue (last payment Spring 2037)
April 2022 $300,000 Non-Recurring Referendum for technology (expiring in 2026-27 school year)

Resources

Tax Impact

Tax impacts are estimates and may change based on final borrowing terms,
interest rates, state aid and property values.

Operational Referendum

The operational referendum would renew the district’s expiring technology funding and increase it from $300,000 to $400,000 annually.
The current referendum already has an estimated tax rate of $0.32 per $1,000 of property value.
The estimated increase over the existing referendum tax rate is $0.10 per $1,000 of property value.
This equals approximately $10 annually for every $100,000 of property value.

Capital Referendum

Authorizes up to $1.95 million in borrowing for one-time facility improvements.
The district would also contribute approximately $1 million from its capital improvement funds toward the projects.
The preliminary estimated tax-rate increase is $0.18 per $1,000 of property value.
This equals approximately $18 annually for every $100,000 of property value.
Debt would be repaid over multiple years.

The preliminary combined tax-rate increase is approximately $0.28 per $1,000 of property value.

FAQ

How were the 2022-2027 Technology Referendum funds used?

1-to-1 Student Devices - Continue to invest in a program that provides a device for every student.

Devices (with cases) are provided to students in Kindergarten through grade 12
- Grades K and 1 - iPads
- Grades 2 through 12 - Chromebooks
- Rotation of devices allow for new devices each year to replace oldest models
- Management software is used to support, install apps and maintain these devices

Continue to teach digital citizenship.

New in 2026-27 - the district is eliminating the Chromebook warranty fee and changing the process/pricing for Chromebook damages
Classroom Technology - Maintaining classroom technology

remains a top priority. Here are some of the things we’ve

accomplished:

Integrating PCs with interactive TVs - expanding device lifespans and creating consistency between classrooms

Replacing failed interactive TVs

Updating computers and monitors in Art, Technology Education and Business Education

Replacing of devices for staff and students - most recently in 2025-26, 465 Chromebooks were purchased and deployed to students
Infrastructure - We have taken a phased approach to updating infrastructure to ensure reliability and security including the following updates:
1. Replacing core and edge switches
2. New backup server
3. Replacing firewall
4. New server network cards to enhance network speeds
5. Wi-Fi improvements including additional data runs, transitioning to a cloud based system, replacing the oldest Wi-Fi access points
6. Adding Virtual Hosts
7. Single Mode Fiber (supports higher data speeds

and better signal integrity) - MDF to MSIDF

SAN (Storage Area Network) expansion

What is the difference between a capital referendum and an operational referendum?

A capital referendum provides funding for major, long-term facility projects, such as roof replacement, air conditioning improvements, bathroom renovations, and asbestos abatement. These funds may only be used for the projects approved by voters.

An operational referendum provides funding for ongoing expenses needed to operate the District, such as technology, staffing, educational programs, utilities, transportation, and other day-to-day costs.

What is the impact on my taxes?

The estimated tax impact is based on a property’s value and is shown as an increase over the District’s existing tax rate.

Operational referendum: Approximately $10 annually for every $100,000 of property value. This reflects the estimated increase above the expiring technology referendum currently included in the tax rate.
Capital referendum: Approximately $18 annually for every $100,000 of property value.
Combined impact: If both questions are approved, the estimated increase would be approximately $28 annually for every $100,000 of property value.

These figures are preliminary estimates. The actual tax impact may vary based on factors such as property values, state aid, interest rates, and the District’s overall tax levy.

Why do we need two questions on the ballot?

The two questions on the November 3 ballot have distinct differences in the source of funding and the duration of taxpayer commitment. According to state law, operating and debt questions cannot be combined, and voters must vote YES or NO on each question independently.

Question 1 is an operating question; it asks voters to exceed the revenue limit by $400,000 a year for five years to update technology. This operating question is a continuation of technology referenda that were passed by the community in 2017.

Question 2 is a debt question; it asks voters to authorize the borrowing of $1.95 million for building improvement projects. Funds will be combined with $1 million from the District’s capital improvement funds to complete three capital projects: roof overlay on identified sections, elementary air conditioning, and asbestos abatement & renovation of high school bathrooms.

If you have questions, please contact the district office at 920-788-7605 or email referendum@littlechute.k12.wi.us.

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