GILLETT, WI- Voters in the Gillett School District have rejected the district’s operating referendum, leaving leaders to weigh difficult financial decisions in the months ahead.
The referendum to exceed the state revenue limit from $2 million in 2026-2027, increasing to $4.3 million in the 2030-2031 school year to maintain instructional programs and operations, failed on a 940-482 vote.
Superintendent Nathan Hanson said the outcome is disappointing, noting the school board had invested significant time studying district finances and community needs before bringing the question to voters.
“I’ve never seen a school board invest so much time and energy and passion into a referendum and really getting to know the finances behind it,” Hanson said. “We’ve all identified that any cuts we make at this point are really going to be cuts that impact kids.”
Budget challenges ahead
District leaders now face the possibility of cutting roughly $1.5 million if new funding is not approved. Hanson said the immediate focus will be maintaining financial stability through the 2026–27 school year while planning next steps.
“In the next couple of months, it’s really going to be critical that we figure out ways to make sure the school district can at least stay solvent,” he said.
Hanson also warned of staffing challenges, saying the district is already among the lowest-paying in Oconto County and ranks near the bottom statewide.
“We expect many staff members will likely start looking for other jobs because we are the lowest paid school district in the county and really the eighth lowest paid in the state,” he said. “We’ve definitely got some fears about how we keep our staff even though they’re making significantly less money.”
Potential cuts and future referendum
Hanson said even eliminating all administrative positions would not close the gap, leaving about $1 million still to be cut.
“It would be a pretty significant hit on our kids and our programs,” he said.
Programs such as agriculture and technical education could be at risk if reductions become necessary, areas Hanson says are central to the community.
“In a community like Gillett, agriculture and the trades are a gigantic part of what we do,” he said. “To lose those types of programs, I just don’t think we could consider ourselves a viable school district.”
The board is now expected to study the possibility of bringing another referendum to voters as early as November.
“We’re going to have to find ways to reboot and probably bring this back in November,” Hanson said.
Dissolution and consolidation discussions
With the district’s fund balance projected to run out by the end of the next school year if new funding is not approved, Hanson said the board must also explore more serious options.
“There isn’t a single school board member that wants to dissolve the school district, but it’s something we’re going to have to consider,” he said.
The district may also examine potential consolidation with neighboring districts, though Hanson said the financial benefits of that option remain unclear.
Understanding the vote
Another key step will be learning why voters rejected the referendum. Hanson said the district plans to gather feedback and rebuild trust within the community.
“We’ll have to learn why people voted no,” he said. “Do they not believe the numbers? Do they want a school district in a different way? That’s something we’ll have to get better at communicating.”
Hanson noted turnout was relatively low, which can impact school referendums.
“We know April elections usually have lower turnout than November,” he said. “School referendums are more likely to pass when there are more voters.”
Community involvement praised
Despite the setback, Hanson praised the level of involvement from the school board and community throughout the process.
“I’ve never seen in my career the amount of school board member involvement,” he said. “We held 11 informational meetings and had at least five board members at every one.”
Hanson said the district now hopes to carry that same energy forward as it evaluates next steps and considers returning to voters later this year.
“We’re just going to have to figure out how to take that same energy and spread it out to November,” he said.
Comments