We’re proud of the many ways we serve students, families, staff and the community in the Hudson School District.
Learn why the Hudson School District has an operational referendum question on the November 5th ballot by watching the video below.
On Monday, August 12th, the Board of Education passed a resolution to exceed the revenue cap in the amount of $5 million on a recurring basis for the purpose of paying Hudson School District operation, maintenance, and staffing costs.
Why is an Operational Referendum necessary?
State policy limits how much school districts can spend. Most school district funding comes from a combination of state aid and local property taxes. From 1994 to 2009, school district revenue limits were adjusted for inflation. During this time, most school districts could keep up with ongoing needs. Since the 2010 state-imposed revenue cap was put in place, 80% of school districts in Wisconsin have turned to their community voters asking for a levy override in the form of an operational referendum.
More and more school districts have fallen behind without state aid increases to account for inflation. We have critically reviewed budget projections extending through 2028-2029. Based on assumptions that consider wage increases, health benefits, revenue limits, student enrollment, and special education aid, the School District will experience a budget deficit estimated at $7.5 million by 2028-2029.
In addition to state aid not keeping pace with inflation, student enrollment has declined over the past several years. Across the country, declining birth rates have contributed to the lower number of school-age children. At the same time, the Hudson community has seen a decrease in the number of families with school-age children moving into the area (in-migration). The School District has maintained a “capture rate” of over eighty percent. Capture rate refers to the number of school-age children who reside in the School District and attend Hudson Schools. This capture rate has remained stable for over twenty years.
What has the School District done to reduce costs?
The School District has cut nearly $1.9 million from the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 general operating budgets combined.
Additionally, the School District has listened to the community’s request to sell property assets that are not needed. The UU property was listed last year and has an accepted offer. The School District’s administrative office building on Brakke Drive has been listed for sale with a plan to move the administrative office staff to available space at Hudson Middle School.
What is the impact on the mill rate?
There would be an annual average tax increase of:
- $4.00 for a $100,000 home (equalized property value)
- $20.00 for a $500,000 home (equalized property value)
How will the School District use the operational funds?
The majority of the Hudson School District budget goes toward staffing. Our staff are charged with instructing, supporting, and engaging students in learning. Other budget items include, curriculum, technology, transportation, operations, and maintenance. Curriculum and technology updates are on a rotational schedule to mitigate high spikes in expenditures in a single year. Ensuring our curriculum and technology are up-to-date provides students with the information and learning experiences they need to succeed after graduation. Operations and maintenance of our schools keeps the learning environment safe, clean and in good repair.
What happens if voters reject the referendum?
The Board of Education has worked hard to be good stewards of your tax dollars. The majority of the School District’s budget goes toward staffing. Other budget items include curriculum, technology, transportation, operations, and maintenance.
Without the passage of the referendum, the Board will need to make tough decisions that could increase class sizes, add more staffing cuts, decrease course offerings and extracurricular activities, reduce transportation costs that could potentially increase the distance students need to walk to school, and potentially limit the School District’s ability to attract and retain high-quality staff. When budget cuts at this level occur, the Hudson School District becomes a less attractive school district for families. An unfortunate downward trend in enrollment reduces revenues even further.
Questions? Send them to connections@hudsonraiders.org or call 715.377.3702.
