The Sturgeon Bay School District needs your support to keep up with its programming as a part of an educational referendum on the ballot next week. The referendum is needed to help continue the educational programming and the staffing the community has come to expect from the district. The question will break from the past three-year cycle that was passed by voters in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019. It will instead focus on a five-year process that will stretch to the 2026-2027 school year. District Superintendent Dan Tjernagel says a lot went into the decision to make that change.

The override amount will start at $2.6 million, a $1 million decrease from the previous year. It will increase between $200,000 and $400,000 over the following four years until it maxes out at $3.8 million. The projected mill rate will increase to $11.46 by the 2026-27 school year, and the yearly impact of the referendum on a $100,000 house will range from $4 (2022-2023) to $28 (2024-2025). The set amounts outlined by the referendum are merely an estimate as the school board does not take all the money approved unless it is needed. The district says the referendum is needed to prevent cuts at the school. The $2.6 million being asked for the 2022-2023 school year is the equivalent of 43 staff members, something the administration and Sturgeon Bay School District Board have deemed unacceptable. The question will appear on the ballot when voters go to the polls on April 5th from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can click on the links to get more information on the referendum and our complete interview with Tjernagel.