KENOSHA, Wis. — In just one week, Kenosha voters will decide the fate of a $115 million operational referendum for the Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD).
The proposal would provide $23 million per year for the next five years to help address a $19 million budget deficit and prevent staff reductions, larger class sizes, and security concerns.
Parents like Angela Wojtak are skeptical of how the district plans to use the funds.
"I'm not against giving money and helping; it's where we're allocating the money and how we're allocating it, that's the problem," Wojtak said. "The problem isn’t going into the right hands and into the right people, and that’s the issue. That’s exactly why taxpayers don’t want this—we don’t trust them."
Meanwhile, supporters like Jessica Nye argue that KUSD is underfunded and needs the money to support students and teachers.
"I'm going to vote yes for the referendum, and the primary reason is that KUSD is an underfunded system," Nye said. "I believe our teachers deserve fair wages and our students deserve to have reasonable class sizes and a safe learning environment."
If approved, KUSD said the funds will be used to maintain current staffing levels, address increased class sizes, and upgrade school security, including reinforced doors, shatter-resistant windows, and modernized surveillance systems.
Students like Karma, who attend KUSD schools, said these investments are important to maintain a safe and productive learning environment.
Watch: Kenosha parents split on KUSD $115 million referendum ahead of vote
"If we are going to take money away from funding like academies and different teams, it should go to something that's going to protect us," Karma said. "Especially with everything happening in the world right now."
While parents remain divided, many agree that they need transparency and accountability from the district.
"We need to open up the books and re-evaluate where this money is going and how it's being spent," Wojtak said.
"I would encourage those thinking of voting no to consider what the repercussions of that could be and to really communicate that we want the district to be held accountable and also make sure they have the funds to operate effectively," Nye said.
Kenosha residents will head to the polls on February 18 to vote on the referendum.
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