Spring Election: Brillion School District referendum fails

By David Nordby

The Brillion News

BRILLION – Electorates in the Brillion School District voted against the operational referendum in Tuesday’s spring election.

The unofficial count was 1,064 (56.5%) against the referendum and 816 in favor of it. The numbers will become official once votes are canvassed.

Had it passed, the district would have been authorized to exceed the revenue limit by $2.275 million per year for the next three school years from 2026 to 2029.

Voters in the City of Brillion opposed the referendum 569 to 450 (55.8%). Voters in the municipalities outside of the city limits opposed it 495 to 366 (57.4%).

Voting by each municipality that is a part of the district looked like this:

·       City of Brillion: 450 yes; 569 no

·       Town of Brillion: 232 yes; 290 no

·       Town of Maple Grove: 39 yes; 71 no

·       Town of Rantoul: 48 yes; 47 no

·       Town of Rockland: 32 yes; 53 no

·       Town of Holland: 13 yes; 20 no

·       Town of Woodville: 1 yes; 9 no

·       Town of Morrison: 1 yes; 5 no.

The school district last held an operational referendum in 2023. That narrowly passed with 899 yes votes to 867 against it. In that election, voters inside the city favored it 512 to 441. Voters outside of the city opposed it 426 to 387.

That operational referendum expires when this school year ends on June 30.

“Brillion Public Schools appreciates those who took the time to vote and make their voices heard. With the outcome of today’s election, our school community has provided direction to help guide the district’s next financial steps,” Superintendent Corey Baumgartner said in a statement to the newspaper. “In the coming weeks, the district will face some very difficult decisions. Despite these challenges, we remain committed to providing high-quality learning experiences for all of our students and will continue to do so to the best of our ability.”