District overview
Watertown Unified School District
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
How is Watertown Unified School District paid for?
Watertown Unified serves the City of Watertown and surrounding towns in Jefferson and Dodge counties. Wisconsin caps how much each district can raise per student (Watertown's 2026-27 limit is $12,215 per student), so state general aid and local property tax make up most income. A nine-member elected school board adopts the budget and hires the superintendent, Jared Burke. In April 2026 voters approved a referendum adding $4.5 million a year for five years, after a larger request failed in April 2025.
Referendum
Yes 4,546 to No 3,994 on April 7, 2026: $4.5 million a year above the revenue limit through 2030-31, for operating, instructional and maintenance costs.
Tax rate
The 2026-27 mill rate is about $6.21 per $1,000, up from about $4.85; roughly $1.55 of it pays for private school vouchers (about $6.16 million).
Enrollment
Head count was 2,815 in September 2026, down from 3,577 in 2019-20, and more students leave through open enrollment than arrive.
Balance
The district ran deficit budgets for three years and projects a surplus of about $250,000 in 2026-27 after cutting staff positions and 10% from department budgets.
The referendum is temporary. This page rests on the board's recorded meetings, so it does not show an adopted budget document or per-student spending.
Where the district stands
Major projects
Operating referendum (2026-27 to 2030-31)
approved; year one under wayVoters approved $4.5 million a year of extra operating money. The board's survey in late 2025 had tested $3 million, $4.5 million and $6 million options.
- Survey results reviewed
- Board authorizes ballot question
- Voters approve (4,546 to 3,994)
- Year-one budget hearing
Funding
Local property tax above the revenue limit, approved by voters April 7, 2026
Closing Lebanon LEAP and Lincoln STEM
approved; closes after 2026-27The board voted 8-1 on February 23, 2026 to close both schools at the end of 2026-27; a board member put the savings at about $1.2 million.
- Lebanon LEAP listening session
- Lincoln STEM listening session
- Board votes 8-1
Funding
Savings of about $1.2 million, per a board member's figure
Summer 2026 high school construction project
option one approved; options two and three voted separatelyThe board split the project into three options (first floor space, second floor space, and outside facilities) and approved option one on April 8, 2026; phase three was expected to finish by the end of 2026.
- Board votes on each option
Funding
Not stated in the recording
Recent news
View the news feed →Resources
Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.
Explore resources →Built from the district's own Board of Education YouTube channel: auto-captioned recordings of board and committee meetings from November 2025 to November 2026. The district website blocks our collector, so no agendas, packets or minutes were available.
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