Voters decisively rejected a $102 million referendum for Mukwonago District Schools on Tuesday, marking it as the state’s third-largest referendum.
The referendum failed to pass, with 54% of voters opposing it and 46% in favor, drawing nearly 10,000 votes overall.
Had it been approved, the Mukwonago Area School District School Board would have sought to demolish Park View Middle School and construct a new middle school serving grades 6th through 8th.
The proposal spurred a significant turnout among Mukwonago parents and residents during Tuesday’s voting.
High school student Noah Ipsa, casting his first vote, and his mother both supported the measure, citing overcrowding issues at school.
However, the proposed tax increase—averaging $200 annually for a $300,000 home—gave pause to some. With Mukwonago’s average home valued at $400,000, the potential hike raised concerns.
Parent and resident Morgan Lang expressed reservations about the tax increase, given her circumstances as a single parent with a child soon to graduate.
The referendum also aimed to reconfigure grade levels and expand facilities for four-year-old kindergarten.
Some voters hoped for a compromise solution, while others recalled Mukwonago’s 2016 approval of a nearly $50 million referendum to modernize the high school.
In Pewaukee, a referendum securing funding for roofing and flooring repairs across several schools received majority approval from voters.
