MILWAUKEE — Voters on Tuesday approved a $252 million referendum for Milwaukee Public Schools.
MPS district leaders spoke about the win on Wednesday morning.
"We do not take this investment from taxpayers lightly," said Superintendent Keith Posely. "We heard the feedback during the processs and we will work to include this feedback as we move foward."
The referendum passed with 51% of voters saying yes, and 49% of voters saying no. "Yes" prevailed by a total of 1,720 votes.
Now that the referendum has passed, residents will pay $216 more in taxes for every $100,000 of their home's value.
The school board says the need for funding is coming from MPS facing a $200 million budget deficit for the next school year.
From fliers to signs and town halls, advocates on both sides of the issue have been trying to get their message out to voters for weeks.
The referendum, which will hike taxes over the next five years, has been a tough decision for some residents, since MPS passed an $87 million referendum only four years ago.
Andrew Christiansen says he did a lot of research before making a decision on the MPS referendum
He says a hike in taxes could affect renters like himself, but he feels investing in education is important.
Tyce Vande Berg also voted in favor of the referendum.
He is a student at UWM and wants to be a teacher when he graduates. He learned about the MPS referendum in one of his classes.
Theresa Washington felt voters had a big decision to make with the referendum.
She told TMJ4's Mariam Mackar that, whatever the outcome, it would have a big impact on the Milwaukee community.
Meanwhile, others say students deserve the programs that are at risk of being cut if the funding falls through.
MTEA President Ingrid Walker-Henry issued the following statement on the passage of the MPS referendum:
"On behalf of the Vote Yes for MPS Committee, supporting organizations and leaders, volunteers and the 5,500 members of the Milwaukee Teachers' Education, I am proud to announce to the people of Milwaukee that we have Voted YES for MPS. Milwaukee sent a message today: we will do what it takes so that the children of our city have access to public schools with equitable opportunities. That MPS students deserve access to certified art, music, and physical education teachers and school libraries and librarians. That we will have competitive salaries that retain the best teachers, paraprofessionals and critical staff for our students. That students deserve tech and career readiness programs that increase their chances at future success. Milwaukee voted "Yes" because we know our children are worth it.
See full election results from Tuesday night's spring election here.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.