MADISON, WI – Today, Democratic Leader State Senator Dianne Hesselbein, Senator Brad Pfaff, and Representative Jenna Jacobson held a press conference to highlight how Senate Republicans are driving up property taxes for hardworking Wisconsin families by starving schools of much-needed state funding.

In the upcoming spring election, 72 school districts are being forced to go to referendum, asking voters to raise property taxes just to maintain basic funding for their schools. By choosing to shortchange public schools, they have shifted the burden directly onto local taxpayers.

Democratic Leader Senator Dianne Hesselbein on underfunded School Districts being forced into referendums: 

“In 2 weeks time 14 Senate Republicans will be at home in their districts and will have to tell their constituents why they have failed to adequately fund public education, why their property taxes are going up, and somehow explain away this complete failure in leadership.

Back in the fall we learned that over 70% of Wisconsin public schools would see cuts to their annual budgets, yet 350 million dollars of general aid funding would be diverted to voucher schools. 

It’s clear that Republicans in the Senate are comfortable watching your property taxes rise each year, despite the burden that rising costs are already placing on our hardworking families. This is ridiculous. They should be embarrassed and you should be angry.” 

State Senator Brad Pfaff on the referendums in his constituency:

“But I want to be clear, clear with you all here today and clear with my constituents: the reason you are being forced to vote on the amount you’re going to pay in taxes is because of Republicans here in Madison who have refused to fund the education of our children. 

They have refused to fund school construction projects that would ensure our students have the best possible facilities, refused to fund the salaries that would ensure our students have the best possible teachers, and in many cases they have even sat back and watched as your local schools have been forced to close their doors for good. 

This isn’t leadership, it’s not good government, it is an abject failure on the part of Wisconsin Republicans who have controlled the legislature for 30 of the last 32 years. It’s nonsense like this that causes folks to become disillusioned with government. ”

Representative Jenna Jacobson on the 17th Senate District facing the most referendums in the state:

“In the 17th alone 10 separate school districts, the most in the state, are forced to go to referendum to try and fund their schools. This continues the disturbing trend of the 17th facing the most school referendums in all of Wisconsin. 

Senator Howard Marklein, in his role as co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, has consistently refused to provide the funding our public schools need, putting these districts in an untenable position.

It’s inexplicable. Ensuring that Wisconsin has schools that parents can feel confident in should be one of the top concerns for anyone serving in the state legislature. Yet, year after year, Wisconsin Republicans leave our schools out in the cold and shift the burden of funding them onto the average taxpayer.”

Watch full remarks from Senators Hesselbein, Pfaff, and Representative Jacobson HERE

The 72 School Districts Across Wisconsin Facing 74 Referendum Votes on April 7th: 

  • Altoona
  • Appleton Area
  • Augusta
  • Baraboo
  • Benton
  • Black Hawk
  • Blair-Taylor
  • Brillion
  • Butternut
  • Cassville
  • Clintonville
  • Cornell
  • Crandon
  • Darlington
  • Denmark
  • Dodgeland
  • Dodgeville
  • East Troy
  • Eleva-Strum
  • Ellsworth
  • Erin
  • Fall Creek
  • Fond du Lac
  • Gillett
  • Gilman
  • Gilmanton
  • Glendale-River Hills
  • Granton Area
  • Holmen
  • Howard-Suamico (x2)
  • Hustisford
  • Iola-Scandinavia
  • Lake Country
  • Lena
  • Maple
  • Markesan
  • Mellen
  • Melrose-Mindoro
  • Menasha Joint
  • Monroe
  • Montello
  • Monticello
  • Necedah Area
  • Nekoosa
  • Oakfield
  • Oconto Unified
  • Portage Community
  • Prairie du Chien Area
  • Randolph
  • Reedsburg
  • Rosholt
  • Sauk Prairie (x2)
  • Sharon J11
  • Shell Lake
  • Shullsburg
  • Siren
  • Southern Door County
  • Sparta Area
  • Trevor-Wilmot Consolidated
  • Twin Lakes #4
  • Waterloo
  • Watertown Unified
  • Waupaca
  • Wauzeka-Steuben
  • Webster
  • Westfield
  • Weston
  • Wheatland J1
  • Whitefish Bay
  • Winter
  • Wisconsin Dells
  • Wisconsin Rapids