Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin, Revenue Limit Increase Measure (April 2020)

Milwaukee Public Schools Revenue Limit Increase Measure
	Election date; April 7, 2020
	Topic; Local school budgets
	Status; Approved
Type; Referral	Origin; Lawmakers
	List of Wisconsin measuresWisconsin Marsy's Law AmendmentSubmit

Spring elections in Wisconsin, 2020

Election date: April 7, 2020
Registration deadline(s): March 18 (via mail), March 30 (online), April 7 (in person)
Online registration: Click here.
Same-day registration: Yes
Voter ID: Required. Click here to view a list of acceptable forms of ID.

Early voting starts: Varies based on municipality. Find your municipal clerk here.
Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): April 7, 2020 (postmark and in-person return deadline)
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time

A revenue limit increase measure was on the ballot for Milwaukee Public Schools voters in Milwaukee and Washington Counties, Wisconsin, on April 7, 2020.^[1] It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported authorizing the school district to incrementally increase its annual revenue limit by a total of $87 million over four years and maintaining that level thereafter with an estimated property tax of $1,118 per $100,000 of assessed property value.

A "no" vote opposed authorizing the school district to incrementally increase its annual revenue limit by a total of $87 million over four years, thereby maintaining the existing revenue limit and property tax rate of $958 per $100,000 of assessed property value.

A simple majority requirement was required for the approval of the measure. The district's revenue limit was set the measure to increase according to the following increments:^[1]

by $57 million for the 2020-2021 school year,
by $20 million for the 2021-2022 school year,
by $7 million for the 2022-2023 school year, and
by $3 million for the 2023-2024 school year.

District officials estimated the property tax rate would be $1,118 per $100,000 of assessed property value (a $160 increase). The total amount of projected revenue for the 2019-2020 school year was $1.2 billion. Of that total, $228.9 million was expected to come from property taxes.^[2]

In 2018, 157 school districts placed similar referendums on Wisconsin ballots, and 90 percent passed.^[3]

Election results

Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin, Revenue Limit Increase Measure (April 2020)
Result	Votes	Percentage
Yes	67,110	77.59%
No	19,381	22.41%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot question

The ballot question was as follows:^[1]

“

Shall the Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee and Washington Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $57 million for the 2020-2021 school year; by an additional $20 million for the 2021-2022 school year; by an additional $7 million for the 2022- 2023 school year; and by an additional $3 million (for a total of $87 million) for the 2023-2024 school year and thereafter, for the recurring purposes of sustaining and expanding educational programming, including, offering more career and technical education programs, attracting and retaining certified educators, and expanding art, music, physical education, and language programs?^[4]

”

Full text

The full text of the measure is available here.

Support

Yes for MPS led the campaign in support of the measure.^[5]

Supporters

Organizations

Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association^[6]
Democratic Party of Milwaukee County^[6]
National Education Association^[6]
NAACP^[6]

Individuals

Vice President Joe Biden (D), 2020 presidential candidate^[7]
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), 2020 presidential candidate^[8]
State Senator Tim Carpenter (D)^[6]
State Senator LaTonya Johnson (D)^[6]
State Assemblyperson Daniel Riemer (D)^[6]
State Assemblyperson Marisabel Cabrera (D)^[6]
State Assemblyperson David Bowen (D)^[6]
State Assemblyperson LaKeshia Myers (D)^[6]
State Assemblyperson Evan Goyke (D)^[6]
State Assemblyperson Jonathan Brostoff (D)^[6]

Arguments

Angela Lang, executive director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, said, "We want to make sure our children, our students have a quality, equitable public education."^[9]
State Assemblyperson David Bowen (D), "Our young people ... deserve to be shown that they are going to be invested into for the future of our community."^[6]

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not identify committees, organizations, or individuals opposing the ballot measure. If you are aware of any opponents or opposing arguments, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Arguments

Ricardo Diaz, executive director of United Community Center, Robert Rauh, CEO of Milwaukee College Prep, and Henry Tyson, superintendent of St. Marcus Lutheran School, wrote, "While 100% of city taxpayers will pay the $87 million price tag of the referendum, just 56% of children living in the city will benefit. ... Milwaukee’s education funding shortages are the result of state funding cuts. Voting “yes” on the referendum and placing an $87 million burden on city residents is neither the best nor most just resolution to a problem that impacts all of the city’s students."^[10]

Background

Wisconsin school revenue limits

The 1993-1994 school year was the first year Wisconsin enforced school revenue limits across the state. A revenue limit is the maximum amount of revenue the district is allowed to raise via property taxes according to state law. Revenue limits differ from year to year because they are determined by student enrollment, inflation, and the prior year's revenue. The revenue limit for the 2019-2020 school year for Milwaukee Public Schools was $804.9 million.^[11]^[12]