How is the Mequon-Thiensville School District funded?
Local property taxes plus a voter-approved operating referendum
Wisconsin caps how much a school district can raise from state aid and property taxes, and a district can go above that cap only if voters approve a referendum. Mequon-Thiensville has a voter-approved operating referendum that adds a scheduled amount each year, which its budget documents say keeps the district structurally stable. The board is now planning for a possible further operating referendum in 2028.
2026-27 tax levy
The board certified a total levy of $55,394,421 and a rate of $6.61 per $1,000 of property value on Oct. 26, 2026. The summer proposal was $55,072,416 and $6.88.
Voter-approved referendum revenue
The scheduled operating referendum revenue grows from $6.2 million to $6.9 million in the 2026-27 budget forecast.
Budget balance
The approved 2026-27 budget has revenues of $79,171,180 and expenditures of $78,694,599.
Facilities are funded separately
An $8 million private fundraising campaign for Homestead High School baseball and soccer facilities was authorized in July 2026, the first phase of a roughly $25 million plan.
The board's own discussion notes that fundraising for athletics can affect how voters see a future referendum for school operations. Collected documents do not show per-student spending or total reserves.
Where the district stands
Total property tax levy 2026-27verified
55,394,421 dollars
Mill rate $6.61 per $1,000.
Budgeted revenues 2026-27verified
79,171,180 dollars
Expenditures $78,694,599.
Operating referendum revenue in 2026-27 forecastverified
6,900,000 dollars
Up from $6.2 million.
Board of Education membersverified
7 members
Major projects
Homestead High School outdoor athletic facilities
Phase 1 fundraising authorized
A master plan (about $25 million) calls for new competition fields and facilities. The board authorized an $8 million privately funded campaign for baseball and soccer facilities and an interim naming rights charter.
Next: Campaign moves from a quiet to a public phase; interim options were discussed.
Board reviews master plan and fundraising challenges
Philanthropic feasibility study presented
$8 million campaign authorized
Funding
Private philanthropy
2025-2028 strategic plan
Under way
The district tracks a strategic plan with goals including community engagement, using a yearly community survey. In 2026 the community Net Promoter Score rose from 42 to 48.
Next: Next yearly survey and board goal review.
Strategic plan update to the board
2026 community survey results reviewed
Funding
District operating budget
2027-28 instructional calendars
Approved
The board approved the 2027-28 school year calendars in October 2026.
Next: Calendars are used for staffing and family planning.
Calendars approved on the consent agenda
Funding
Not applicable
Local elections & school board members
Elections & votes
Board electionScheduled
Board of Education spring election
Mequon-Thiensville School District
The seats held by Dr. Mary Gavigan and Andrew Hopkins have terms ending April 2027, and Nicholas Korger's term also ends in April 2027, so three at-large seats are expected on the April 6, 2027 ballot. The district's official notice will confirm the seats and filing dates.
At a May 4, 2026 working meeting the board discussed a potential operating referendum in 2028. No referendum has been proposed or scheduled; state rules require the board to file ballot resolutions at least 70 days before an election.
Built from board agendas, minutes, committee notices and meeting packets posted on the district's BoardDocs portal from November 2025 to November 2026, and the district's board page.
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