2020 Referendum

1. The Ripon Area School District has financial needs that will require the input of the entire community to effectively address.
In Wisconsin, public school districts are subject to a revenue limit, also known as a revenue cap. This restricts the amount of money districts can receive from state aid and local property taxes. Revenue limits are calculated every year. State law allows school districts to increase their revenue limits by passing a referendum. This revenue limit has placed the district in a situation in which it has been penalized for its efficient use of funds in the past. 

In 2014, voters in the Ripon Area School District passed an operational referendum. That referendum will expire in 2020. The board now must receive approval for a replacement referendum, or else the district will lose a significant amount of revenue. The board is expected to place a replacement referendum question on the November 2020 ballot. 

2. The district and board are engaging the community to find the best possible solutions to our needs.
Before November, the district and school board are working to engage our families, staff members and community members in a conversation about our local schools and how we can best plan for the future.
We will work to find solutions that are fiscally responsible and that enable us to maintain and grow programs and services for students. 

Our top priority is to continue our legacy of delivering a top-quality educational experience to our students. As we move forward, community members will have multiple opportunities to take part and make their voices heard, including through a survey and informational sessions. In fact, the input and feedback of our community members will be critical to this process.

Over the coming months, the board will hold a series of engagement sessions, conduct a community-wide survey and provide information via the local newspaper, the district website and social media to ensure community members have the opportunity to consider the district’s challenges and weigh in with their thoughts.  

3. The board is proposing a balanced solution to the Ripon area community. 
Simply put, if the board does not receive approval from voters for a replacement referendum in 2020, the revenue limit authority provided by the 2014 referendum will be lost. That would, in turn, lead to cuts in programs and services that would impact students and their learning. 

The board is working to find a solution that provides our students with the resources they need while keeping local property taxes as low as possible.

The district and board seek to make the most of every single dollar our taxpayers invest in the Ripon Area School District.