Key takeaways
- State aid to the district came in $538,000 above July’s estimate. Whitefish Bay will get $16.3 million, up $828,746 (5.34%) from last year.
- The $39.5 million of the referendum that isn’t the middle school. About $35.5 million would replace the high school’s entire heating and cooling system and add sprinklers. That includes temperature and humidity control in the Field House, Memorial Gym and auditorium.
- Cumberland and Richards would get sprinklers for the first time in their original buildings. The $4 million would cover 100% of both schools and add new fire alarms with voice evacuation. Broader elementary updates would wait for potential future referendum.
Two school finance topics that I found interesting ahead of the November 3 vote: peeling a layer back on where the non-middle-school referendum money would go and final state aid numbers that came in well above expectations.
The referendum beyond the middle school
Nearly all of the referendum conversation has been about the middle school, which makes sense since that’s $68.4 million of the plan. But another $39.5 million would go to the high school, Cumberland and Richards. When going back through the official scope language (“mechanical system replacement,” “building infrastructure and capital maintenance”), I realized I didn’t fully understand what most of it meant in practice.
Here’s what that money buys, based on answers from the district and its construction team.
Cumberland and Richards: $4 million
- Sprinklers where there are none. The original portions of both schools were built before codes required sprinklers and still don’t have them. Only newer additions, like the 2009 Great Rooms, are covered. The referendum would put sprinkler coverage on 100% of both buildings.
- New fire alarms. Aging alarms would be replaced with a system that adds voice evacuation, broadcasting emergency directions throughout the building.
A June fire in Milwaukee points to why the sprinklers matter. Milwaukee’s Lincoln Avenue School was completely destroyed by fire and had no sprinkler system. Milwaukee’s fire chief said sprinklers would have spared the building.
What’s not included: the broader elementary renovations from April’s plan, including HVAC updates amongst others. The board has said a future referendum will likely be needed to address those items.
High school: $35.5 million
- A complete HVAC replacement: boilers, chillers, air handlers, pumps, piping and controls, with air conditioning in all classrooms and core learning spaces.
- Gyms and auditorium: The district confirmed the work would fix the heat and humidity problems in the Field House, Memorial Gym and auditorium, giving them more access year-round. The current setup has been especially troubling during the warmer months when humidity has rendered the floors in the Field House unsafe for athletic activity.
- Better air quality: more fresh outside air and MERV-rated filtration, a hot topic during COVID. Ventilation and filtration upgrades like these have been linked to reduced spread of airborne viruses in schools.
- Supporting work for HVAC: electrical upgrades, building automation controls, roof reinforcement for heavy new equipment, and plumbing tied to the mechanical systems.
- Sprinklers and new fire alarms throughout the building, much like those in the elementary schools.
If the referendum passes, expect about three summers of heavy construction for those items to be completed.
The bottom line
The total project costs $107.9 million. Voters are being asked to approve $90 million in borrowing, and the district would cover the other $17.9 million from reserves. The estimated tax impact is $125 per $100,000 of value, or about $857 a year on the village’s average home. More details can be found at wfbreferendum.org.
State aid comes in $538,000 higher than expected
This summer I wrote that Whitefish Bay was projected to get a modest bump in general state aid for 2026-27 – noteworthy because 60% of districts expected a drop in money from the state. The final numbers are in, and the bump is a lot bigger than expected.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction certified aid amounts on October 15. Whitefish Bay will receive $16,346,606. That’s $828,746 (5.34%) more than last year, and $537,899 more than the July 1 estimate.
What it means for taxpayers
State aid doesn’t give the district more money to spend. Under Wisconsin’s revenue limits, the amount the district can raise is capped, so more aid means less has to come from the property tax levy.
The $828,746 increase over last year works out to roughly $170 per residential property in the village, money that won’t have to come from local taxes. The school board sets its final levy later this fall, which will show what actually lands on tax bills.
How the neighbors fared
| District | State Aid – October Certified | Change, 2025-26 to 2026-27 certified |
| Glendale-River Hills | $2,189,901 | +14.29% |
| Shorewood | $7,113,364 | +5.84% |
| Whitefish Bay | $16,346,606 | +5.34% |
| Nicolet UHS | $731,670 | –11.43% |
| Fox Point J2 | $1,432,138 | –15.00% |
| Maple Dale-Indian Hill | $73,571 | –15.00% |
Statewide, 151 districts gained aid, 261 lost aid and 9 were unchanged.
Source: https://dpi.wi.gov/sfs/aid/general/summary
Election day is Tuesday, November 3rd.
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