Voters in the Siren School District will decide an operating referendum on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The non-recurring proposal would let the district exceed its state-imposed revenue limit by $750,000 per year for four years, running from the 2027-28 school year through the 2030-31 school year. A three-year operating referendum approved in 2023 expired at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
School Board President Katie Tewalt said the amount is lower than a previous request of $1.8 million, after the district made about $875,000 in budget reductions. The district's referendum information says an April 2026 proposal for $1.8 million in added authority was not approved.
The estimated tax impact is 31 cents per $1,000 of fair market value. That works out to $77.50 in the first year for a $250,000 home, or $6.46 a month.
District officials said the money would maintain educational and elective courses including art, music, tech education and FACE, support student services such as school psychology and counseling, and fund operations and preventive maintenance. It would not be used for capital construction. Tewalt said a failure would force harder cuts, potentially affecting elective and core staffing, athletics, student services and administration.
