BRILLION (NBC 26) — The Brillion School District is facing tough decisions after voters rejected a $2 million referendum. Without that funding, the district will need to cut about $1 million from the budget, impacting everything from staffing to extracurricular activities and sports.
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Brillion School Board member Gordie Gasch said the board is looking at the cuts with the hope of using a contingency fund and going back to voters.
"It really hurts," Gasch said.
"Trying to decide what things we can live without," Gasch said.
"The first million you can make ... the next million dollars is drastic," Gasch said.
For Gasch, a former teacher and coach, the situation is personal.
"I've told people, I went home and cried. 40 years I've spent here at Brillion in the school district, and it hurts," Gasch said.
"This is not just a Brillion problem, it's a state problem," Gasch said.
The situation is part of a trend seen across Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum.
Sara Shaw, Wisconsin Policy Forum deputy research director, said there were 75 referendums on Wisconsin ballots this spring, with 84% of them operational, marking the highest percentage on record.
"A lot more districts are looking to voters to increase their revenue just to do their daily work," Shaw said.
"Inflation has drawn the cost of those daily operations up, and generally, school districts' revenue has not kept pace," Shaw said.
The first of two meetings discussing the cuts took place on Wednesday night. A second meeting focused on program cuts is scheduled for next week on April 27.
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