MONROE — The new high school going up was a big win for the district, and Monroe but the process of getting it built starting in 2023 and going into 2024 had a financial ripple effect on the district.

Voters, some angry about how the potential impact of the successful high school referendum was communicated before the vote, last spring shot down a reoccurring operating referendum, blowing a bigger hole in the district budget.

Now, the School District of Monroe appears ready to try again or at least consider it seriously — they are discussing the potential for asking voters to approve replacing referendum funding that had been recurring in the district for eight years prior to the voter rejection.

“It’s clear that the board has an interest in exploring this option,” said Interim Superintendent Joe Monroe, speaking of a timeline, that — by the end of the year — should have officials looking at either a referendum or more cuts. “We know that this is something that is likely in our future.” 

The topic was on the agenda of the September 8 board meeting, where a “Proposed 2026 Referendum Timeline” was presented. Still officials emphasized that there is nothing final about the referendum matter — only that discussions and planning are well underway and will continue apace.

“The very feedback (received by the district) was ‘let’s keep the conversation going’,” said Board President Jim Curran.

The voters last spring rejecting adding another year to eight consecutive years of a non-recurring, $1.5 million operating referendum. As a result, the board approved painful cuts to programs. 

Those included eliminating the German language program, cutting a special education teacher and two special education aides outlined last  Jan. 27, and implemented during the past school year. The reductions also meant that about 300 of the 1,000 students attending summer school in recent months lost bus rides to and from school.

Meanwhile, the presentation last Monday also noted that school officials would process potential cuts — of another failed ballot measure — this time around after the holidays and during the early part of January.

“Either way I think by that December (school board) meeting we should know where we intend to go and what we are looking as far as a referendum, whether we’re going or not going, the amount, as well as the duration, or recurring, non-recurring, all those things,” he said.

A voter information campaign, should officials decide to go forward, would ensue — with the public, online and in other forums — and continue from about January to March, 2026.