Kenosha Poll Shows Support Drops as Tax Rises
Kenosha Unified homeowners should weigh how a $10 to $30 monthly property tax increase would affect their budgets before the district decides on a referendum.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Administration
Live Poll
Would you support a monthly property tax increase to keep local school programs?
The Kenosha Unified School Board received results of a community poll on a possible operational referendum, conducted by Morris Leatherman Company, as the board adopted its 2026-27 budget with a structural deficit of about $17.8 million. Local homeowners would bear any property tax increase tied to a future referendum.
Why it matters
The poll was commissioned as part of the district's referendum planning, so its results shape whether Kenosha households may face a higher property tax bill to keep school programming intact. With the budget carrying a structural deficit, the district is weighing how much local taxpayers would accept.
Phone interviews with 400 random district households found 80% would back a property tax increase to maintain programming, though support fell from 26% at $10 a month to 12% at $30 a month. The $17.8 million structural deficit in the 2026-27 budget is being covered largely by unallocated general reserve funds.
The players
Kenosha Unified School District
The public school district serving Kenosha, which manages a budget carrying a structural deficit and is weighing an operational referendum.
Morris Leatherman Company
A survey research firm that conducted the district's community poll on property tax support for school programming.
The details
Morris Leatherman Company conducted the phone interviews after the School Board voted in August to hire the firm, asking households about property tax increases of $10, $20, and $30 per month. More than half of respondents supported increases to fund each proposed item, but support narrowed as the monthly amount rose. The board formally adopted the 2026-27 budget on Oct. 27, with general reserves absorbing most of the deficit while the board considers whether to seek voter approval.
Timeline
Aug. 2026: School Board voted to hire Morris Leatherman Company for the poll.
Sept. 30 to Oct. 13, 2026: Phone interviews with 400 randomly selected district households were conducted.
Oct. 27, 2026: Poll results were presented and the 2026-27 budget was formally adopted.
November 2026: ERS staffing audit results are scheduled for presentation at a School Board meeting.
April 2027: The board has planned to potentially pursue an operational referendum.
The Home Front
Operational referendums are the mechanism Wisconsin school districts use to ask voters for property tax increases beyond state revenue limits. Any approved increase would add to the property tax bill that Kenosha homeowners already carry.
Kenosha homeowners should watch for the board's April 2027 decision on whether to place an operational referendum on the ballot, since any approved increase would raise the property tax bill. Budgeting for a possible $10 to $30 monthly increase is a sensible step while the board finalizes its plans.
The takeaway
Kenosha households are being asked, through the district's own polling, how much more they would pay to keep school programming intact. Checking the board's agenda and meeting minutes ahead of an April referendum decision is a practical way to follow the outcome.
What happens next
ERS staffing audit results will be presented at a November School Board meeting, and the board has planned to potentially pursue an operational referendum in April 2027.
Further reading
For broader context on how district leadership sets budgets and staffing, explore Administration coverage from Kenosha.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wisconsin State Journal.
Live Poll
Would you support a monthly property tax increase to keep local school programs?
