SHEBOYGAN FALLS, Wisc. — Sheboygan and Sheboygan Falls are cities less than 10 miles apart but despite their proximity, they’re far from similar when it comes to voting on the 2024 school referendums.
The Sheboygan Area School District proposed a $121 million referendum that would repair and modernize Urban and Farnsworth Middle Schools.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Where Northside Sheboygan residents stand on the SASD referendum now
“As much as I don’t want a tax increase, it benefits our children and grandchildren,” said Sheboygan resident Bill Fale. “I’ll pay the extra couple of bucks. It’s more than a couple of bucks, but it’s important for the children.”
His kids and grandkids attend private schools, but he said it doesn’t stop him from supporting public education.
Fale's vote helped pass the SASD referendum.
Superintendent Jacob Konrath released this statement after the victory, saying in part:
We do not take our community’s support for granted, and we will continue our work with a strong dedication and commitment to ensuring the success of all students.
The Sheboygan Falls School District requested nearly $100 million in its referendum for building maintenance, athletics upgrades, and added childcare services.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: The Sheboygan Falls School District 2024 referendum — explained
Those things resonated with Falls voter Michael Piegel.
“I thought it made a lot of sense in terms of what the schools need,” he explained. “So I actually did vote in favor.”
Other voters I spoke with who were against the referendum said the cost they would endure was simply too much, especially since they’re still paying off the previous referendum that built the new middle school.
“I’m very happy it was defeated,” said Ed Mundevanoff, Falls native and former school board member. “There were many bad things about it.”
Mundevanoff said he wasn’t happy with the plan to resurface the football field, add childcare that he claims takes away from local businesses, and most of all, the long-term payout for residents.
Watch: City of Sheboygan and Sheboygan Falls vote oppositely on school referendums
“If they come back and just say ‘We need some money for repairs, for a boiler” or something like that, then they’ll go along with it,” he guessed.
In response to the referendum being voted down, the Falls district put out this statement:
No matter the outcome, we have had some great conversations about the future of our schools over the past several months. We want to thank our community for your thoughtful questions and feedback throughout this process.
Falls said it will now reevaluate its needs for better solutions.
“How they’re going to come up with the money…I don’t know,” Piegel remarked. “It’s a shame they didn’t pass it, in my mind. I think students will suffer.”
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