The Mayville School District Board of Education held their regular board meeting on Monday, Aug. 17. The board moved forward with a $950,000-per-year operational referendum while district officials outlined the financial pressures behind the request and their goal of balancing district needs with the impact on local taxpayers.
The board approved resolutions authorizing a referendum asking voters for permission to exceed the district’s state-imposed revenue limit by up to $950,000 annually for seven years, beginning with the 2027-28 school year and ending with the 2033-34 school year. The nonrecurring referendum would support operational and maintenance expenses, including district facilities, school safety and security, student transportation and educational programming.
The action follows an extensive Finance and Building and Grounds Committee review of district finances. Superintendent Dr. Scott Sabol said district officials went line-by-line through revenues and expenditures while developing the 2026-27 budget and examining longer-term needs.
The district is currently projecting an approximately $250,000 deficit for the year, although changes in special education aid and other revenues could reduce that amount. District officials also identified pressures including health insurance, transportation, building maintenance and other operating expenses.
Sabol said the district has been discussing the potential need for an operational referendum for approximately a year but had held off moving forward.
“We’ve talked about potential needs for a referendum for operations, but we’ve really held on,” Sabol said, noting it has been approximately 10 years since the district last approached voters regarding a referendum.
Referendum Focused on Maintaining What District Has
Board President Randy Clark emphasized that the referendum is intended to help the district maintain its existing facilities and operations while keeping the impact on taxpayers in mind.With property values increasing at different rates throughout the municipalities making up the district, Clark said the board’s goal is to remain mindful of taxes while providing the district with the resources needed to maintain its facilities and operations.
“This would permit the Board of Education to use, instead of using defeasance, to use that money to take care of the things we have been talking about,” Clark said.
Defeasance has been part of the district’s strategy for paying down existing debt. Clark said the board wants to balance those financial decisions with the effect increasing property values and future district needs could have on taxpayers.
“Our goal as a board is to keep that mill rate as steady as we can in the years ahead,” Clark said.
Clark also stressed that the proposed operational referendum differs from a capital referendum that would borrow money for a major building project.
“With this referendum there will be no debt taken on,” Clark noted. “We’re not taking out a loan, we’re not taking out financing to do some big project, and there is no new construction planned with any of this.”
Instead, the referendum would provide funding for maintaining what the district already has, including facilities, school safety and security, student transportation and educational programming. The district’s referendum language specifically identifies those areas as eligible operational and maintenance expenses.
The district has been directing approximately $350,000 annually toward buildings and grounds. Sabol said the referendum would allow the district to address needs identified through its facility condition assessment while relieving some of the pressure those costs place on the operating budget.
Clark said the approach would allow the district to invest in its existing infrastructure while continuing its efforts to reduce debt. The board’s longer-term goal is to avoid allowing maintenance needs to accumulate to the point where another large capital referendum becomes necessary.
Sabol echoed Clark’s emphasis on fiscal restraint, saying the district is attempting to select a referendum amount that addresses its needs without asking taxpayers for more than necessary.
“I think we’re being wise and frugal,” Sabol said. “You’re trying to stay as conservative as possible while still having a positive impact on the district.”
The referendum would authorize the district to levy up to $950,000 annually. It would not require the board to levy the entire amount each year, giving future boards flexibility to consider property values, state funding and district needs when determining the levy.
Property Values and Tax Impact
That flexibility could become important as property values continue to increase across the district.
Sabol presented preliminary equalized valuation estimates showing overall district property values increasing approximately 8.94%, although increases vary considerably among the municipalities within the district. He said those differences will have to be considered as the district develops tax-impact projections.
“As we navigate taxes and mill rates and all that kind of stuff, that’s just important for us to be mindful of and strategic about it,” Sabol said.
The district plans to develop updated projections showing residents how the referendum could affect the mill rate and individual property taxes as more complete valuation information becomes available.
Sabol: State Funding Has Not Kept Pace
Sabol also used his superintendent’s report to explain what he sees as the larger issue behind the growing number of operational referendums across Wisconsin.
He told the board Wisconsin previously tied increases in school district revenue limits to inflation but later moved away from that system. According to information presented by Sabol, state revenue limits have fallen more than $3,500 per student behind where they would have been if they had remained indexed to inflation.
“You imagine what that would do for this school district,” Sabol said. “This is across the board. This is not a Mayville story, but we’re living it here.”
Sabol pointed specifically to health insurance, energy and transportation as costs districts continue to face regardless of the amount of additional revenue provided by the state.
City, District Discuss SRO Partnership
Sabol also highlighted what he described as growing cooperation between the City of Mayville and the school district.
He said he met twice with the mayor over the summer to discuss ways the city could support the public school system while recognizing that the city is facing budget pressures of its own. The city has also placed information about the school district and school finance on its website.
One potential partnership involves the district’s school resource officer (SRO).
According to Sabol, discussions with the Mayville Police Department estimated that the officer spends approximately 20% of the position’s time in district schools. Based on an estimated total position cost of approximately $100,000, the district is considering contributing about $20,000 through Fund 80 community service funding.
Sabol said the arrangement could demonstrate the district’s commitment to student safety while strengthening collaboration with the city.
“I really appreciate the partnership,” Sabol said. “They’re trying to promote as much as possible our public school system.”
The city and district are also discussing approximately $6,000 in support for preparation, labor and materials associated with city-owned athletic fields used by district students.
Seclusion and Restraint Report
Director of Special Education and Teaching and Learning Carrie Mathison presented the district’s annual seclusion and restraint report.
Mayville Elementary School recorded 28 incidents of seclusion and 32 incidents of restraint during the 2025-26 school year involving four students. No incidents were reported at the Early Learning Center or junior/senior high school. Mathison said the increase was largely associated with the needs of a small number of students and expects the number to decline this year after a more appropriate placement was found for one student.
Mathison also explained to the board what constitutes seclusion and restraint and the circumstances under which each may be used.
“Seclusion means that a student is self-harming, harming others or destructing property,” Mathison said, adding that the situations are primarily related to harm and safety. “If a student is showing those things, a seclusion means we have the person in a place where they can calm down.”
The district has designated spaces where students experiencing dysregulation can safely take a break and calm down. The goal, Mathison said, is to help students regain control without the situation progressing further.
“We want them to be able to regulate themselves and get back to their learning,” Mathison said.
Physical restraint is reserved for more serious circumstances involving an immediate safety concern.
“When you look at restraints, it means that the student is in danger, staff are in danger,” Mathison said. “That, of course, is not something that we do lightly. It’s basically if there’s imminent harm.”
The district is also changing its crisis-response training from Nonviolent Crisis Intervention to Safety-Care. Two staff members received Safety-Care training over the summer and will train additional district staff during the school year. Mathison said the training focuses on recognizing signs that a student may be escalating, de-escalation strategies and interventions that can be used before seclusion or restraint becomes necessary.
“We try lots and lots of different things before we get there,” Mathison said.
Sabol added that Safety-Care was recommended by the district’s commercial insurance carrier and costs substantially less than the district’s previous training model.
Junior/Senior High School Updates
Mayville Jr./Sr. High School Principal Mike Blaha updated the board on preparations for the 2026-27 school year, including the refinishing of the high school gym floor.
Blaha also discussed the district’s transition to its new Skyward student information system. The district has launched the new system and Family Access, although administrators acknowledged that some families have experienced difficulty accessing accounts during the transition.
Families having problems with Skyward were encouraged to contact their building administrator or the district for assistance.
With the referendum resolutions now approved, the district’s next major task will be communicating the proposal, its tax impact and the financial conditions behind it to voters before the referendum.
Board Matters:
Approval of minutes of the previous Board Meeting
Approval of Treasurer’s report
Approval of regular Semi-monthly bills
Approval of per diem
Approval of Human Resources Report and Personnel Recommendations
a) Recommendation to Hire – Professional Staff Teaching Contract for Diane Kempke (4K 0.5 FTE/Aide 0.5)
b) Recommendation to Hire – 2026-27 Fall Coaching Contracts
c) Mentor Stipends - 2026-27 Mentor Contracts
Approval of 2026-27 Special Education Policies and Procedures.
Approval of a resolution authorizing the School District Budget to Exceed Revenue Limit by $950,000 Per Year for Seven Years for Non-Recurring Purposes.
Approval of a resolution providing for a Referendum Election on the Question of the Approval of a Resolution Authorizing the School District Budget to Exceed Revenue Limit by $950,000 Per Year for Seven Years for Non-Recurring Purposes.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 9, 2026, due to the Labor Day holiday.
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