District overview
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
The School District of Ladysmith serves Ladysmith and nearby towns in Rusk County with Ladysmith Elementary, Middle and High Schools. Wisconsin limits how much a district can raise from property tax, and the limit follows student counts, so falling enrollment shrinks it. Voters can approve a referendum to go above the limit. Ladysmith has a non-recurring $600,000-a-year referendum that ends after 2026-27, and on November 3, 2026 asked voters for $950,000 a year for five years. A seven-member board elected at large hires the district administrator, Dr. Jason LeMay.
The 2026-27 levy is $3,403,135: $1,494,422 for operations, $1,756,463 for debt payments and $152,250 for community service. Debt is over half of it.
General state aid fell $336,656 (about 4.29%) for 2026-27, while voucher payments rose $165,000 and special education scholarships rose $50,000.
The September 2026 count was down about 28 students (19 in the funding measure) because a graduating class of 60+ was replaced by a class in the mid-30s.
The board voted 6-0 on July 15, 2026 to ask for $950,000 a year for five years starting in 2027-28. Even if it passes, the district says more cuts are needed.
None of this means the district is poorly run: it received a clean 2025 audit and paid down some 2022 building bonds early. This page does not show total spending or per-student spending, and the November 3 vote result was not found.
The board called a question for $950,000 per year for 2027-28 through 2031-32 to maintain programs, student services and building upkeep. Outreach included a School Perceptions community survey, two newsletters, a video and presentations to the city council and townships.
Property tax above the state revenue limit (per year, five years)
Students in K-12 may not use personal wireless devices from 8:00 a.m. to 3:25 p.m., with legal exceptions.
No cost stated
The board approved the calendar change on December 17, 2025 after a plan and survey.
No cost stated
Two at-large seats have terms ending in 2027 (Gerard Schueller and Mike Russell). Wisconsin holds nonpartisan school board elections on the first Tuesday in April (April 6, 2027); candidate filing normally closes in early January and the district has not posted a 2027 notice yet.
Official source · verified Nov 10, 2026
$950,000
Voters were asked to let the district exceed its revenue limit by $950,000 per year for five years (2027-28 to 2031-32), replacing a $600,000-a-year referendum that expires after 2026-27. The result was not found in the collected records.
Official source · verified Nov 10, 2026
Three at-large seats were up (incumbents Laurie Keeble, Jennifer Pearson and Jeff Wallin). The district board page now lists all three with terms of 2026-2029. Vote totals were not collected.
Official source · verified Nov 10, 2026
Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.
Explore resources →Built from BoardDocs agendas, minutes and attachments for 17 meetings from November 2025 to October 2026, including 210 attachments.
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