Wondering where all of the KUSD referendum propaganda is coming from? Not surprisingly, this aggressive effort to tax you out of your homes is coming from the teachers’ union. People are still struggling to afford gas and groceries, but the teachers’ union believes they deserve more of your hard earned money than you already contribute.
It’s in your mailbox, on your social media, and you can’t scroll YouTube without seeing their constant ads. Quite a hefty investment to convince taxpayers to vote for a $115 Million tax increase! In the summer of 2024, teachers union associates registered the “Say Yes to Invest” referendum campaign committee, a full three months prior to the KUSD school board’s November 2024 vote to go to referendum in February of 2025.
How did donors to the “Say Yes to Invest” campaign know the vote would pass? Well, not hard to predict, given that board president Mary Modder is a former KEA teachers’ union president, and the KEA has supported liberal hacks Rebecca Stevens, Yolanda Adams, and Todd Price for years. In partnership with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, they also invested in the 2024 campaign to elect far-left extremist, Sabrina Landry.
Consider that the current cost of a stamp is $0.73. The combined populations of Kenosha, Somers, and Pleasant Prairie is about 128,000. If the campaign sent mailers to even just 50,000 addresses, postage alone would cost $36,500 for ONE mailer. However, they have sent several mailers to thousands of homes, racking up expenses for printing, addressing, and postage. OK, they might get some bulk mailing discount, but let’s go with the standard price for this purpose. Suppose they mailed flyers to 50K homes 4 times – that’s $146,000 just in postage!
Then, add all the digital advertising, email spamming, and mass texting. Let’s say they have another $50,000 invested in that. This speculation pushes them to $200,000 in propaganda spending to fleece you out of more of your hard earned money than KUSD is already grabbing.
The “Say Yes to Invest” campaign is separate from the other plethora of propaganda coming to you directly from KUSD. State law prohibits school districts from advertising “vote yes” or “vote no”, but for a district in financial crisis, they sure have used a crap-ton of your tax dollars to send out a lot of influential materials, too.
Follow the Money
Who are the people funding this effort? The seed money shows in the most recently filed campaign finance reports, but you won’t be able to see where most of the money came from until after February 10th, which is the next filing date set by the state. The February 10th report will only cover expenses between Jan.1st and Feb. 2nd. The campaign can continue to take donations and spend money up until and after the February 18th election, but there isn’t another report filing deadline until March 24th. A lot of money can be spent on this campaign between Feb. 3rd and election day, Feb. 18th, and voters will not know who tried to influence a local tax hike until after they vote.
What do you think about the possibility of non-KUSD residents investing in efforts to raise YOUR taxes? You aren’t likely to know who REALLY funded this effort until AFTER you have voted.
The bottom line is that most of the referendum dollars would be used for step-and-lane salary increases for faculty, staff and administration raises, adding new positions, and increased investments in fringe benefits, like health insurance. Don’t forget, KUSD is also caving to the union’s long-time demands for more teacher prep time, at a cost of $4.2 million PER YEAR. No wonder the teachers and their friends are exploiting the needs of kids to get your “YES” vote – it means more money for them.
Interestingly, the Kenosha Education Association failed to submit their union recertification vote results in 2024 in violation of ACT 10. Are they even a certified union at present? If the liberal State Supreme Court overturns ACT 10, the unions are likely to drive wages up to unaffordable levels. If you think KUSD is at risk now, wait until they have to cut ⅓ of teachers and class sizes triple because of collective bargaining that makes everything unaffordable.
There is clear evidence that more spending on K-12 schools in Wisconsin has NOT led to better outcomes. In fact, in some cases test scores are worse in 2024 than they were in 2022 and 2023. It’s not pandemic learning loss causing this, it’s too much focus on social justice, social emotional learning, restorative justice, gender ideology, and CRT. Cut out the unnecessary garbage, and use the time to focus on reading, math, science, and social studies. Then maybe the community will be more willing to invest.
Remember, the KUSD school board voted to allow boys in girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms, sports, and private spaces.. They WILLINGLY put your daughters in danger. This is the same board so strongly supported by the teachers’ union, who are now spending so much to overtax you for their own benefit.
Hold them accountable! VOTE NO! on or before February 18th.
40 Responses
I don’t understand why they need so much extra money when they just closed a bunch of schools. I get they said they’d be worse off if those didn’t close, but I think it still does not add up. I think we should farm more. Who cares about groceries when you have everything you need in the yard? And more community gardens! Teach the kids these life skills with Earth. It heals us.
They have an 18 million dollar deficit. If they hadn’t closed the schools it would have been 30 million.
Ya and the schools they closed just got remodeled and updated. What a waste
Cut some more.
I think we need a D.O.G.E. team here in Kenosha.
What’s D.O.G.E?
Department of Government Efficiency
Thanks!
yes!
Agreed we need DOGE. I’ll call Musk.
“Vote no or we’ll be broke” slogan
Kusd is a useless player organization. Can’t even hire employees to keep kids safe. Anyone that votes yes, better start packing because your property taxes will be thousands more within 5 years
Unfortunately, without the money, the classes offered at the highschool will be limited. The private school vouchers and Special Health needs scholarships are draining fund of KUSD. Every special needs student who has an IEP and goes to a private achool gets $15,000.00 to the private school with no accountability to that private school how money is spent. KUSD has to give the money out if their own budget. Things have to change at the state level. The money for the referendum is going to private schools too. I’ll pay $300 a year for my middle school kid to have a better chance to get to college with teachers who have prep time and AP classes. I vote yes.
Both of my children were pulled from KUSD and in private at one point. Guess how much we got for that? ZERO!!!!!!!! My family is middle class and we couldn’t get one penny unless we were practically poverty level. That argument is bullshit.
Anonymous. It is true a lot of money leaves KUSD for private schools. “Follow the money” every which way. Just saying, the money for your property taxes is going to private schools.
Don’t forget that the money only leaves when the student leaves. It follows the student and the smart money follows the student who leaves kusd
As it should be. But because of absolute bullshit ideology coming from the school union/administration. People are pulling their kids out of the shitty unified schools and bringing them elsewhere like private schools/county schools. So since these pinheads at the top can’t figure out why they are running out of money to keep the machine going, they have to cry to the taxpayers and leverage the kids to open up wallets. This poor management needs to be stopped. Quit throwing money at these problems. Period.
Where did all the money go we have already gave them? Take a look at all the salary increases, “new” positions created, and the increase in administration. http://Www.govsalaries.com might help you see who is getting paid quite a bit for their income.
Where does KUSD get its budget again? Oh ya, taxpayers. KUSD lies, hands out diplomas to kids who they didn’t educate. It’s a scam. KUSD administration at building levels tell staff that kids with IEPs “can’t fail”, even when they do no work, and don’t learn anything. These kids often wander around the schools all day, hiding in bathrooms and libraries, hanging out in multiple lunches. There’s never a consequence, and they get punched out the door with a diploma.
KUSD doesn’t need another 100 million to continue this proud legacy.
And yet, Mark, KUSD gets money for each kid going to a voucher school even though KUSD does absolutely nothing for the kid. You fail to mention that part.
You also fail to mention that the voucher school gets much less money for the kid than KUSD gets if that kid went to a KUSD school.
You also fail to mention that the kid going to the voucher actually gets taught AND learns educational subjects UNLIKE a KUSD school and propaganda like a boy can become a woman and “man-made global warming” is a thing.
KUSD has no accountability for any extra funds they get for students with special needs or an IEP. Many (not all) make zero attempt to learn, and the administration goes in and changes their Fs to passing grades to make stats look good. A total disservice to this children who aren’t learning anything. An audit with testing on these students with “no help” would prove they get no advance in their ability year to year. The teachers sit and point out the correct answers on the tests, so the teachers can show off how good of a special education teacher they are. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone you know with a special ed student at KUSD. It’s a total sham.
I’ll vote no and keep sending my kid to private school.
Thanks.
Your comment about private schools having no accountability is incorrect. Private school must submit to the state a financial accounting of how the scholarship money is spent, the methods of instruction that will be used by the school to provide the special education and the qualifications of the teachers providing instruction and related services to the child. Also have to regularly report to the child’s parent their progress. The Scholarship program is governed by Wisconsin Statute 115.7915 and Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter PI49. You can find this on DPI website.
Why should KUSD keep that money in their budget if the student is not enrolled in one of their schools? You fail to mention that those that choose to send their child(ren) to a private school, don’t get to deduct the portion of their taxes that go to KUSD. Maybe it’s time for the tax dollars to follow the students to the school of their choice.
My point is, there is lots of money taxpayers are paying for private schools. It does not go to KUSD and things need to be fixed at the state level. For less than a dollar a day I’ll give it my kid not to private schoolsheisters like this. This lady worked at the same school and stole from the one in Kenosha when it was here. Taxpayers bought her a trip and much more. https://www.fox6now.com/news/racine-embezzlement-special-needs-school.amp
I will add, this wouldn’t be such a problem if the public schools were performing. There is a REASON people are pulling their kids. KISD can continue to stick their head in the sand and blame ot on “birth rate”, fact of the matter is that the system has failed countless families. Own it and fix it and maybe you can get out if this mess.
Kenosha school system is bad enough WITH competition, imagine how much lazier and pathetic they would be if there was no danger of anything ever-changing, just a constant, “count the students and get the check”.
Mark Evan’s, Taxpayers have given enough! I prefer to keep my $300.00 plus to pay my bills and buy groceries. So it’s a No vote from me. Cut the fat .
Where I can agree the government neds to look at the funding model for Special Education & child find to make adjustments to have the cost more appropriately matched on the whole. That is where my agreement ends.
I would also add that title and other funding streams should come with less limitations and more flexibility to support public schools use of budget to meet the needs of students. In many ways public schools are like individuals on fixed income. They only get a certain amount that can only be used for approved allowable costs. What’s allowed is even more strict if you are a targeted assisted school vs. school wide. If you are a targeted assistance title 1 school you can only use the money on teachers who have 20% or more of their students underperforming. To move the academic needle classes that are a 1/3 – 1/3 – 1/3 are best. 1/3 high performance, 1/3 proficient , 1/3 emergent proficient. But if you do that you can’t use the title funding to support that class, because they don’t fall into the 20%. Any efforts the government can make to support schools having more flexible spending I have seen go a LONG way to support student outcomes.
It wasn’t until 2022 I believe (less than 3) years ago that open enrollment started to match the per pupil allocation of the public school of origin. Until that time charters & public schools with mostly open enrolled students like Paris got less money than the public schools per student.
It is also true like the person stated that tuition relief for private schools that are voucher is based upon the families income and is awarded based on a scale that is similar to free and reduced lunch.
Title dollars have always been offered to private schools regardless of being voucher. But the private school can chose not to take it. Special education services like speech must be provided by a public school district employee to students in private schools so the accountability is as high as public schools on those services/supports.
If a student on voucher or open enrollment goes back to the public school of boundary the per pupil allocation follows the student. Your commentary is common towards private schools is not accurate. Additionally if the private school is voucher they had to go through a whole process to ensure the students receive the same educational programming and features as the public’s school & parents can opt. out of the religious programming.
It’s a very BIG decision a private school makes because the could lose what makes them different if it’s parochial and the families opt. out of the religious components.
The persistent belief and energy towards private schools stealing from public schools is a straw man that detracts from channeling energies into thinking through viable solutions.
Yeah, right! Who needs to read and count anyways!
D.A.
*given
There is no way we can continue to live here with these escalating property taxes. If the money actually did something to benefit the students education, that would be one thing. But they are not improving their test scores. If they are interested in focusing on the safety of the children, they would remove all of the predatory teachers and staff who are trying to sexually harm the children. They could also remove their woke ideology and all of the filthy books in their libraries and cut their expenses that way as well.
Kevin, can you post all of the KUSD administrator salaries? I think that would help put some of this into perspective
https://kenoshacountyeye.com/2024/05/08/kenosha-unified-administrators-salaries/
thank you!
http://Www.govsalaries.com
Thank you!
The people and groups that donated to this cause have the right to do it with their own money. No dispute over that.
The wisdom of what they’re advocating is what’s puzzling. Just throwing dollars at school operations doesn’t mean successful schools. It means trying to keep operating them as they have been and, as reported here and elsewhere, that hasn’t been all that good. That said, schools need money to operate and, like anyone else, price increases affect budgets. (I just came back from McD’s. The Sausage McMuffin that used to set me back $1 was $2.75.). I would think — or at least hope — that teachers would present the whole story.
Like anyone else trying to make ends meet the schools need to look hard at spending. It was a long time since I was in school but I remember the scare tactics then about eliminating athletics because of budget issues. I went to a school board meeting and showed them that they were spending $1 more per ream of paper than they needed to. Things haven’t changed much. KUSD has not asked teachers and students to identify areas where costs could be cut without improving quality.
There needs to be some school administration but how much, especially with a reduced student population? The author of this article hasn’t identified which positions are not needed and should be cut.
And just about everyone has missed the boat (except for former board member Tom Duncan) that state support for education is in need of reform. Kenosha isn’t the only school district hitting up taxpayers. It’s puzzling that our supposedly well-educated teachers aren’t on that bandwagon. They should be.
I’m voting “no.” The case hasn’t been made for this massive property tax increase. There is a case to be made for better stewardship at the local level and for more equitable funding from the state. Just bilking property taxpayers isn’t the answer. And teacher should know that.
back in the day, my kid was struggling, we said “hold him back” we’re OK with it…. KUSD, we can’t do that
Sarah Kirby, Treasurer and also a County Board Supervisor. Interesting. .
Letters from 2 kusd teachers went out last week attempting to guilt parents into voting yes.
$12.5 million for 7 schools safety improvements? That works out to approximately $1.8 million each! I question this and would like to see the breakdown of how they came up with this. Their summarized description does not seem to justify the total cost.