Suburban Milwaukee School Referendums See Mixed Results

Lake Country and Glendale-River Hills pass operational measures, but Whitefish Bay rejects facilities referendum

Apr. 8, 2026 at 3:19am

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A bold, colorful silkscreen-style illustration featuring a repeating grid of stylized textbooks in bright, contrasting hues, conceptually representing the ongoing debate over school funding measures.School referendums remain a battleground for funding educational needs and taxpayer concerns in suburban communities.Whitefish Bay Today

Voters in the Lake Country School District and Glendale-River Hills School District approved operational referendums on Tuesday, while the Whitefish Bay School District's $135.6 million facilities referendum failed. The Lake Country and Glendale-River Hills referendums will provide additional funding to maintain class sizes, upgrade technology, and address facility needs, while the Whitefish Bay proposal would have built a new middle school and renovated several other schools.

Why it matters

School referendums are crucial for districts to secure funding for essential operations and infrastructure. The mixed results in this suburban Milwaukee area highlight the challenges districts face in getting voter approval for tax increases, even as they strive to provide quality education and facilities.

The details

The Lake Country School District's $5 million per year, 4-year operational referendum passed with 1,172 yes votes to 655 no votes. The Glendale-River Hills School District's $800,000 per year, 4-year operational referendum also passed, 2,860 to 1,929. However, the Whitefish Bay School District's $135.6 million facilities referendum failed, 3,741 to 3,439.

  • The Lake Country and Glendale-River Hills referendums will start in the 2026-27 school year and end in the 2029-30 school year.
  • The Whitefish Bay referendum was voted on during the April 7, 2026 election.

The players

Lake Country School District

A school district serving communities in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Glendale-River Hills School District

A school district serving communities in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Whitefish Bay School District

A school district serving the village of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee.

Chad Schraufnagel

Superintendent of the Whitefish Bay School District, who had warned that the district would have to explore dissolution if the referendum failed.

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What they’re saying

“If the referendum were to fail, the district would be forced to explore the possibility of dissolution.”

— Chad Schraufnagel, Superintendent, Whitefish Bay School District

What’s next

The Whitefish Bay School District will need to determine how to address its funding and facility needs after the referendum's defeat. The Lake Country and Glendale-River Hills districts will begin implementing their approved operational funding increases in the 2026-27 school year.

The takeaway

The mixed results of these suburban Milwaukee school referendums highlight the ongoing challenges districts face in securing voter approval for critical funding measures. While some districts were able to pass operational referendums, the failure of the Whitefish Bay facilities referendum underscores the difficult decisions districts must make to balance educational needs with taxpayer concerns.