MONROE — The School District of Monroe Board of Education met on Monday, Nov. 9. Among the agenda items were the monthly student and staff Excellence in Education honorees, an update on the MHS Building Project, approving the retirement of Business Administrator Ron Olson, and coming up with a timeline to decide whether or not to attempt a third try at an operational referendum in the spring, a process that would include holding community conversations.
At the high school, the company that installed the light-up “M” on the north side of the building that can be seen from Wis. 11/81 is going to be replaced on the company’s dime — an incorrect font type was used. There are also security cameras getting installed and going online, as well as further signage through the campus to help newcomers navigate their way around. The mural by the athletic fieldhouse will also have a picture installed of former state champion football coach Toby Golembiewski.
The board spent the majority of the nearly 2.5 hour meeting discussing the financial situation. Among the discussions included endorsing a letter to legislature from a collective of southern Wisconsin schools, asking for the state to pay out the promised funds to public schools, as well as to work on changing the formula the state has used for funding, which has remained largely unchanged for more than 20 years.
The coalition of school leaders hope the funding can get bumped from 60% to 70%, which would equal about $1.5 million extra for Monroe — coincidentally nearly the exact amount the district sought in a prior operational referendum to plug a funding shortfall. Monroe is in the bottom 10% in the state in per-pupil funding.
The state has not kept funding in line with the rate of inflation going back to 2009, before Governor Scott Walker and Republicans took hold of a trifecta at the state level. Since then, funding has lagged behind inflationary costs at a rate of $3,571 per pupil. Among those funds being withheld are for special education, which the state mandates by law.
The state has lauded multiple billions of dollars of extra revenue over the past several years, all while districts across the state have taken to referendums in order to stay afloat. Of the 421 public school districts in the state, 82% have called for at least one referendum since revenue limits were imposed. Last week’s election saw 79 more referendum questions across the state, with 44 passing.
This is not a School District of Monroe issue, Business Administrator Ron Olson told the board. “This is a financial challenge realized by most school districts in Wisconsin.”
Locally, Monroe’s base revenue per student in 2025-2026 was $12,108. Among the seven districts that cover Green County students, Monroe was the third fewest behind Brodhead ($11,975) and Black Hawk (12,032), meanwhile, New Glarus (12,551), Albany (14,051), Monticello (14,163) and Juda (14,976) all get more.
In 1993, the state imposed revenue limits based on what each district was paying at the time. Which has meant districts like Monroe has had to continue to operate with comparatively lower revenue limits for more than 30 years, Olson said. The long-standing funding disparity illustrates how historical funding decisions continue to impact Monroe’s financial resources and contribute to the district’s ongoing budget issues.
Over the past few years, every district in Green and Lafayette County except Monroe has passed an operational referendum — taxing its base more in order to raise funds to cover the gap. The hardest part, year over year, has to do mostly with rising costs of inflation, wages and employee benefits like insurance and medical reimbursements, as well as for fuel and transportation, and regular school supplies and food for students and staff. Revenue is also tied to enrollment, which is down statewide, as well as Monroe.
Over the past five years, Monroe has cut more than 50 full-time positions across the district. Olson anticipates the 2027-2028 budget to face yet another $900,000 deficit.
Olson said there are five budget reduction options:
● Personnel Reductions. Identify positions for reduction that likely impact class sizes, course offerings, programs and student services.
● Consolidation of Services. Identify opportunities to consolidate programming to realize operational efficiencies.
● Generate One-Time Revenue. Identify property or assets that can be sold to provide one-time revenue.
● Operational Referendum: Consider seeking community authority to exceed the state-imposed revenue limit.
● State Funding Relief. A change in Wisconsin leadership (Democrats will hold the trifecta in January) may yield a change to reimbursement rates and could overhaul the public school funding model.
While there is optimism changes in the state’s funding formula can be made, it likely wouldn’t happen for several months or even years, meaning Monroe would have to continue with short-term borrowing to fill the gap.
Administration officials aren’t afraid the district is in danger of folding, like Hustisford just did — the state’s first lost district in 30 years, following five failed referendums. However, that doesn’t mean difficult conversations or decisions aren’t needed.
Monroe taxpayers rejected the last two operational referendum attempts over the past three years. Once again, administration has to come up with a reduction plan to trim the district’s budget even further for next school year, assuming no added money will be available. The admin team presented the board with a timeline of the reduction process and what to expect.
● Nov. 18 Community Listening Session
● Nov. 23 School board meeting with continued discussion
● Dec. 11 Communication of Recommendation to Staff of potential cuts
● Dec. 14 School board meeting with Presentation of the Admin Team’s Recommendation
The timeline for the reduction process is significantly more flexible this year, unless the board were to consider going to an operational referendum in April, Olson said. The latest legal deadline for the district to approve and file an operational referendum question for the April 6 election is Tuesday, January 26, 2027.
“We are now at a point where reductions directly impact students and classrooms,” Olson said. There’s no more “trimming around the edges,” instead the cuts will change what opportunities the district can offer students and families.
That could mean increased class sizes, fewer intervention supports, reduced electives, limited college- and career-level course offerings.
“These are not decisions we take lightly. They affect people — students, families and staff whose work defines our school community,” Olson said.