Voters approve Marinette School District facilities referendum

MARINETTE – During the recent midterm elections on Nov. 3, voters decided to approve a facilities referendum for the Marinette School District, while other districts in Marinette and Oconto counties failed to pass their referendums.

The approved Marinette School District referendum was set for an amount not to exceed $68 million to be used for extensive rebuilding and remodeling projects at the middle school and high school. This will include new classrooms, playgrounds, HVAC updates, accessibility upgrades and more.

Marinette School District’s referendum was narrowly passed by 2,703 voters in favor (50.3%) and 2,663 against it (49.6%), according to unofficial election results shared by Marinette County. This approval came after a previous $48 million referendum failed in April 2025.

The school district shared online, “We appreciate the support provided by our community and we will continue to provide updates about these exciting projects as we move forward.”

Voters chose not to approve the other school referendum in Marinette County for Wausaukee School District. The proposal sought a five-year, $6 million operational referendum. This was Wausaukee’s first referendum on the ballot since 2008.

According to the county results, 885 (40.5%) voters were in favor of the referendum while 1,296 (59.4%) represented the majority against it.

“In the months ahead, we will take time to carefully evaluate our financial position, review our priorities and determine the best path forward for the district. We understand that there will be challenges and difficult decisions along the way, [we] are committed to approaching this process thoughtfully, responsibly and transparently,” the Wausaukee School District shared in an online statement.

“The students of the Wausaukee School District will continue to be at the center of every decision we make. The outcome of the referendum does not change our commitment to our students, families or staff. We remain dedicated to providing a high-quality education and meaningful opportunities for every student, every day.”

In Oconto County, both referendums on the ballot failed to pass. This included a $1.9 million, three-year operational referendum for the Gillett School District and a $900,000 per year for five years non-recurring operational referendum at the Oconto Unified School District.

These local school referendums represented four of the 79 different school referendums that were on ballots across Wisconsin on Nov. 3. A total of 45 were passed by voters, with 34 failing.

Following the election, Wisconsin State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly shared, “The school funding formula is broken, and it has failed our children, our schools and entire communities for decades. Wisconsin’s public schools cannot continue to rely on referenda to provide the educational opportunities all students deserve.

“I am hopeful we are in a position to make meaningful change to the way we fund Wisconsin public schools, and I look forward to working with all of Wisconsin’s elected leaders to do what is best for our children, our schools, our teachers and our entire state.”