Florence County School District budget on Nov. 5 vote

FLORENCE, Wis. (WLUC) – Florence County voters will decide the Florence County School District budget.

In the school’s maker lab, students begin learning how to digitally design engineering projects.

Junior Jackson Korff is taking upper-level courses using the lab.

He says the lab allows him to explore his interest in engineering.

“I have a program on my computer that I can use to model whatever I want and then send it straight to the 3D printers we have,” Korff said. “So I can quickly prototype and test all sorts of things. I did a lot of cool projects there.”

The fabrication lab is one of many programs on the November ballot as part of the county’s operational referendum.

The operating referendum funds everything from staff salaries to sporting events to full-time teaching of college-level courses.

If accepted, the school’s interest rate would increase by nearly 0.1 million.

Currently, the owner of a $100,000 property would pay nearly $786 in taxes per year.

If the current referendum passes, the tax would be $796 per year.

Florence County Superintendent Kristy Larson says with state funding dwindling, the school is turning to the community for support.

“Back in 2005, we received $2.8 million in government aid,” Larson said. “We will receive $124,000 in government aid this year.”

The current operational referendum ends at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

Larson says if the referendum fails, the school could face possible service cuts.

“Like anything, if you have to cut a budget, you have to look at the staff, services, programs and additional things you offer to the community,” Larson said. “All of these things need to be taken into account, and you will have to cut back significantly to make ends meet.”

If passed, the referendum will begin in the 2025-26 school year and end in the 2028-29 school year.

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