The one-time payments go out weeks before the midterms, but anyone on a Medicare Advantage plan is excluded. In Wisconsin, that's most people on Medicare.
Tuesday's Common Council agenda includes a new TIF district for 168 downtown homes, a second straight parking rate hike and a federal police grant the Finance Committee deadlocked on.
Green Bay schools want voters to replace an expiring levy with $158 million over four years. Here's what the money covers, why the district says it needs it, and what happens if it fails.
What Green Bay's $158 Million School Referendum Would Actually Pay For
Green Bay schools want voters to replace an expiring levy with $158 million over four years. Here's what the money covers, why the district says it needs it, and what happens if it fails.
Green Bay voters will decide Nov. 3 whether the Green Bay Area Public School District can keep its current tax rate to fund operations, or whether it has to cut staff and programs to fit a smaller budget.1,2 The ballot question asks permission to exceed the state's revenue limit by $29 million in 2027-28, $36 million in 2028-29, $44 million in 2029-30 and $49 million in 2030-31, a total of $158 million over four years.1
The district calls the plan tax-rate neutral, meaning the mill rate wouldn't go up if it passes.1,2 That doesn't guarantee a flat tax bill. Chief Financial Officer Angie Roble told residents at a Sept. 22 information session that rising fair market values could still push some bills up, depending on where people live.2 If voters say no, the mill rate drops, which could mean lower property taxes for some homeowners.2
What the Money Covers
This is an operational referendum, so the money pays the ordinary cost of running schools, which the district lists as staffing, utilities, transportation and basic supplies.4 District officials have said it won't add programming or expand costs.2 It's separate from the capital referendums voters approved in 2022 and 2024, which can only pay for building work.3
The district frames the request around three things families told it to protect: student growth, strong programs and safe schools.1 Its referendum page describes safety partly as keeping class sizes manageable and keeping the support staff who help students with social, emotional and mental health needs.1 The programs it highlights include fine arts, career and technical education, the K-12 International Baccalaureate pathway, gifted services and bilingual programming.1
The district's current operational referendum, a 10-year, $16.5 million-a-year measure voters passed in 2017, runs out after the 2026-27 school year.3,4 Without a replacement, district projections showed a deficit of $24 million to $32 million in 2027-28.5
The deeper problem is Wisconsin's school funding formula. Revenue limits set in 1993 locked districts into whatever they were spending at the time, and Green Bay's limit is among the lowest in the state at $11,650 per student.3,4 The highest-spending district gets about $26,000.3 The district says that if per-pupil increases had kept pace with inflation over the past 17 years, Green Bay would have roughly $60 million more every year.4
Special education is another hole. The 2025-27 state budget set reimbursement at 42% for 2025-26, but the district says it actually received about 39%, and it moves about $32 million a year from its general fund to cover special education.3 Enrollment is falling too. It's down 2,315 students since 2018 and projected to drop from 17,862 to 16,291 by 2035-36, and state aid follows students out the door faster than fixed costs shrink.3
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What's Already Been Cut
GBAPS has consolidated six schools, closed its virtual school, eliminated more than 100 positions and cut departmental budgets 10% three years running, according to the district.4 It has restructured employee benefits two years in a row, shifting more costs onto staff.3,4 The Press-Gazette has also reported cuts to central office positions and the closure of a school pool.6
The district's FAQ takes on the questions it hears most. On why it doesn't spend down its fund balance, it says that money is a one-time cushion board policy requires to stay above 15%.3 On selling the district office at 200 S. Broadway, it cites a 2023 study that put relocation costs at $20 million to $30 million for a building worth about $2.9 million.3 On the 2.63% cost-of-living raise staff are getting this year, it points to a 91.8% staff retention rate, above the state's 86.3%.3
Board members raised a different worry when they set the amount this summer: inflation could outrun even an approved referendum. Superintendent Mike Hernandez said the ask climbs each year to lower the odds of another round of cuts after voters say yes.6
If It Fails
District leaders haven't published a cut list. Hernandez said he didn't want to forecast specifics, but that "everything is on the table" if it fails.2 The district's referendum materials say a no vote would mean staff layoffs, larger classes and fewer programs, including co-curricular activities.4
Green Bay isn't alone. Hernandez said more than 40% of Wisconsin districts have gone to referendum in the last three years, and nine other Northeast Wisconsin districts have questions on this November's ballot, including a nearly $60 million capital request in Pulaski.2
The district held two community information sessions in late September.2,7 Residents can send questions to communications@gbaps.org, and the referendum page links to a fact sheet and FAQ.1 Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The one-time payments go out weeks before the midterms, but anyone on a Medicare Advantage plan is excluded. In Wisconsin, that's most people on Medicare.
Tuesday's Common Council agenda includes a new TIF district for 168 downtown homes, a second straight parking rate hike and a federal police grant the Finance Committee deadlocked on.
Mayor Eric Genrich will leave City Hall in April after eight years, leaving former Mayor Jim Schmitt as the only declared candidate and a council president and a state lawmaker in the wings.
