Wisconsin Rapids School District Asking Voters to Approve $3.8 Million Referendum

Wednesday, March 4th, 2026 -- 8:00 AM

(Sean White, WSAW) Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools (WRPS) is asking voters to approve a $3.8 million annual referendum over the next five years to maintain existing programs and improve curriculum and technology.

According to Sean White with WSAW, the measure also replaces the district’s current operational referendum, passed in 2021, which expires at the end of this school year. Superintendent Ronald Rasmussen said the district has seen a greater need for specialized education services.

“Over the last five years, students that need specialized education plans within our district has increased almost 30 percent,” Rasmussen said. “So that includes an increase in special education services, ELL services, counseling and social work services for our students and families.” The district is already proposing $700,000 in cuts for the upcoming school year, which Rasmussen said limits opportunities for students.

“That includes AP classes, dual enrollment courses, but when we look at staffing, our classes that may have the smallest enrollment would probably, possibly fall off the wayside,” Rasmussen said. “And those are those opportunities we want to maintain for our students.” For a household valued at $200,000, the referendum would cost about $20 a year.

Rasmussen said if the referendum does not pass, additional cuts will be required, resulting in further loss of educational opportunities. He said the referendum addresses both student educational needs and federally mandated guidelines and plans.

However, he believes that needing these referenda is a sign that the state funding formula isn’t working. “I think there are 72 referendums across the state,” Rasmussen said. “I think that shows that the school funding formula is broken within the state, that school districts continually go back to the taxpayer to ask for operating referendums in the future.”

The district has scheduled seven public listening sessions over the next month through the April 7 election.

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