HARTLAND, Wis. — Arrowhead Union High School District was one of 38 school districts in the state that failed to pass their referendum on the April 1 ballot.

This was the second referendum they put before voters this school year. The district initially requested over $261 million from voters in the November election. When that proposal did not pass, they reduced the amount by nearly half for the spring election to $136.2 million.

What You Need To Know

  • Arrowhead Union High School District was one of 38 school districts in the state that failed to pass their referendum on the April 1 ballot

  • This was the second referendum they put before voters this school year. They initially requested over $261 million from voters in the November election

  • When that proposal did not pass, they reduced the amount by nearly half for the spring election to $136.2 million 

  • Waukesha County election results showed 63% of voters said “no” to the referendum, which is up 5% from November’s proposal

After the second failed referendum, board members said it was time to go back to the drawing board and met for the first time Wednesday night since the election.

Arrowhead School Board President, Kim Schubert, addressed the referendum’s failure inside the Arrowhead High School library.

“I thank all of you, for being a part of what I would, very vigorously defend has been a very accurate, a very transparent, and a very good process,” said Schubert.

Other board members, like Chris Farris, were disappointed the referendum failed for a second time.

“We are struggling and have struggled for a long time,” said Chris Farris, Arrowhead School Board Vice President. “A huge amount of the updates that have happened at this school are because of donations.”

The more than $136 million dollar referendum was proposed by the district to pay for consolidating the high school’s north and south campuses into one. The money was also supposed to go to upgrading facilities like the cafeteria, pool and locker rooms. However, a majority of taxpayers living in the district voted the referendum down.

Waukesha County election results showed 63% of voters said “no” to the referendum, which is up 5% from November’s proposal, when the district proposed almost double the amount of money.

School board leaders said the referendum was to make up for insufficient state funding, but Arrowhead School district resident, Melina Sebastian, said she doesn’t believe that is true.

“I’m hoping now that we’re done with the whole referendum, that we’re going to start really focusing on what really needs to be taken care of at Arrowhead,” said Sebastian. “I think Arrowhead brings in plenty of money, if you figure out $11 to $12,000 per student. There’s 1,900 kids, do your math.”

In a previous interview with Spectrum News, Arrowhead School District Superintendent Conrad Farner stated that $11,000 per student is at the lowest end of state funding for schools.

The board members intend to present a third plan.

“We’re going to have to regroup and discuss, you know, what we think next steps are going to be. We won’t be able to put a proposal together, I think, until November of 26,” said Farris.

Some voters, like Sebastian, said they will keep voting no.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got one more kid to come through Arrowhead, and he’s only in second grade, so I’m going to be here for a while,” said Sebastian.

The board plans to begin discussions on how to address building needs starting as early as this May.

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