October 2026
Good afternoon community
Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter. With just 14 days until the November 3rd election, we want to remind you about an upcoming important item on your ballot: a question regarding a renewed four year non-recurring operational referendum for $5.5 million. The proposed renewal will help us to sustain essential educational programs and services. If you missed one of our public informational sessions at the library, additional details are available below. You can also download a copy of the full presentation on our webpage by clicking on the red button below called "Operational Referendum Web page with Information." Early voting has already begun, so please confirm voting times and locations with your municipal clerk. Your voice matters!
Please be sure to vote on November 3rd.
On another note, Homecoming festivities just wrapped up, and our annual lip sync contest was another memorable one for the books, with the sophomores taking first place this year. We hope you were able to join us for the annual burning of the “W.” Thank you to Home Lumber for donating the wood and materials, as well as to the staff who dedicated their time to engineer one of the biggest “W”s we have ever seen. We hope you will join us for Ghouls Night Out with the Whitewater Chamber of Commerce on October 29th. We will have a district trunk/table again this year.
Can you believe it, parent-teacher conferences are already this upcoming week, Tuesday, October 27th and Wednesday, October 28th. Please save the dates and connect with your school if you have not already done so to schedule a time.
Lastly, cooler weather is on the way, so please review the district’s winter weather protocols in case school needs to be canceled or delayed due to inclement weather.
Operational Referendum Information
The school board at the regular monthly August 24th board meeting approved to go in November to the community for a non-recurring referendum in the amount of $5.5 million for four years. If approved, the referendum would allow WUSD to exceed its state-imposed revenue limit by $5.5 million annually for four years, beginning in the 2027-28 school year and ending after the 2030-31 school year. The funding would replace the district's current four-year, non-recurring operational referendum, which voters approved in 2022 and is scheduled to expire at the end of the 2026-27 school year. The proposed referendum would be $1.1 million over the current amount.
Property Tax Impact
An approved referendum would increase the school district’s current mill rate by approximately $0.40 per $1,000 of assessed property value, or about $120 per year for a home valued at $300,000.
Here is how the question will look on the ballot on November 3rd:
Question: Shall the Whitewater Unified School District, Walworth, Jefferson and Rock Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $5,500,000 per year for four years, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year and ending with the 2030-2031 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of the following: maintaining student support and mental health services, maintaining comprehensive instructional and co-curricular programs, and maintaining technology, safety, and facilities infrastructure?
Lastly, there are a few red buttons below, the first one titled "Operational Referendum Page" would be a great one to visit as it has lots of information such as:
- Addressing WUSD's operational needs
- The proposed solution
- The presentation material in case you were not able to attend one of the six community meetings that were offered at the library.
- Frequently Asked Questions
We will continue to update this webpage, as well as a list of locations that the community can come to hear more information on the operational referendum. We have also added some important voting information below as well.
This month the Business, Operations & Finance committee discussed the following items.
- 3rd Friday September Pupil Count Report - Robert Chady explained to the committee how the pupil count is calculated and how the financial aid is determined from the pupil count.
- 2026 Summer School Membership Report - Robert Chady further explained how the summer school minutes are calculated and how financial aid is determined from the summer school report.
- Fiscal Year 2026 Audit Status - Robert Chady gave an update on the status of the 2025-26 audit to the committee.
- 2026-27 Preliminary Budget - Robert Chady will present the Preliminary Budget at the Budget Hearing on October 26, 2026, and he will present the original budget at the Board Meeting on October 26, 2026. For the 2027-28 school year the Budget Hearing will go back to being presented in August.
- Budget Timeline, Upcoming Budgetary Dates - Robert Chady presented the timeline to the committee.
- Cash Flow Borrowing - Line of Credit Request for Proposal - Robert Chady advised the committee the district may have to do short-term borrowing and explained the process.
October is officially designated as Cybersecurity Awareness Month, making it fitting that the first round of our network security audit was completed in partnership with UW-Whitewater students on October 6th. Students sign an official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) prior to performing audit tasks covering network security, physical security, and social engineering.
This collaboration is a win-win: it strengthens our district's security posture while providing UW-Whitewater students with valuable, real-world experience. Students from Ms. Masbruch’s advanced networking class were also invited to participate. Round 2 of student auditing will take place in the district on November 3rd.
Work also continues under Round 2 of the Wisconsin Emergency Management Cybersecurity Grant. Starting next month, a third-party vendor will conduct an extensive, two-week network penetration test scanning over 3,000 IP addresses. The cost of this exercise is fully covered by the grant.
Finally, the Technology Department continues to provide timely support to staff and students, ensuring instructional technology devices and resources operate optimally to support teaching and learning.
The construction contractors are finalizing the phase one capital referendum projects. The tennis/pickleball courts were completed last month. Students were able to start using the new FCS lab, auto shop and wood shop last month. The final pieces of equipment are being set in the new metals shop this week. Next week (10/19) the parking lot on the south side of the high school will be getting removed, all parking lot work at the high school should be completed in early November. Construction continues for the new kitchen and greenhouse through the end of this calendar year.
Whitewater High School Students Achieve Record-Breaking College Tuition Savings!: We are excited to celebrate an incredible milestone at Whitewater High School! During the 2025–2026 school year, our students saved $382,600.81 in Gateway Technical College tuition, the highest annual tuition savings WHS has ever achieved!
Just look at the growth over the past four years:
- 2022–2023: $29,016.48
- 2023–2024: $206,115.22
- 2024–2025: $262,101.26
- 2025–2026: $382,600.81!
This growth represents more than dollars saved. It reflects expanded opportunities for students to earn college credit, explore career pathways, and take meaningful steps toward their futures while reducing the cost of postsecondary education.
Through transcripted credit and dual credit articulation agreements, students can get a head start on college while still in high school, saving both time and money as they pursue their goals.
A huge shoutout to our dedicated WHS staff and postsecondary partners who continue to create and expand these opportunities for students. Their commitment to helping students succeed is making a tremendous difference!
What an incredible example of preparing every student for their next chapter!
- Business and Society: Connecting Students with Our Community: Whitewater High School's Business and Society students are getting a unique opportunity to connect classroom learning to the real world through an outstanding lineup of local business leaders, community professionals, and public officials.
Offered in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, this course allows students to earn college credit while still in high school.
Teacher Kurt Nickelsburg envisioned a course that went beyond the traditional classroom. He wanted students to learn directly from professionals who are making decisions, solving problems, leading organizations, and helping shape our community.
So far, students have had the opportunity to learn from:
- Mason Becker, City of Whitewater Community Development Director, who discussed America's marketplace, local business, and community industry needs.
- State Representatives Angelina Cruz and Brienne Brown, who shared perspectives on business in underserved communities and explored challenges and potential solutions.
- Deb Reinbold, Executive Director of ThriveED, who engaged students in conversations about business opportunities and challenges in underserved communities.
- Darcy Rallo, Director of Human Resources at First Citizens State Bank, who discussed inclusive business practices, management styles, and ways to support employees from diverse backgrounds.
These experiences give students opportunities to ask questions, hear different perspectives, and understand how classroom concepts apply to the world around them.
And the learning continues! Upcoming guest speakers include professionals from Husco, Generac, and the Whitewater Area Chamber, Tourism, and Downtown Whitewater. Students will continue exploring inclusive workplaces, management practices, and the many ways businesses contribute to our community.
We appreciate the professionals who take time out of their busy schedules to invest in our students. Real people, real experiences, and real connections help make learning meaningful!
- Middle School FCS Shoutout: Learning Skills for Life!: A shoutout to Ms. Natalie Vacha's sixth-grade Family and Consumer Sciences class for developing their sewing skills!
Students are learning the basics of sewing, including how to sew buttons. They will put their new skills to use by creating their own Halloween-inspired monsters.
It's a fun way to combine creativity, hands-on learning, and practical life skills that students can use well beyond the classroom.
Way to go, Ms. Vacha and students! We love seeing our students learn by doing!
- Celebrating the Business and Community Partnerships That Support Our Students: Whitewater Unified School District is fortunate to have businesses and organizations that consistently invest their time, expertise, resources, and energy in our students.
From supporting student organizations and career exploration events to providing scholarships, sharing professional expertise, and creating hands-on learning opportunities, these partnerships help students connect what they learn in school to future education and employment opportunities.
Our local partners play an important role in helping students explore careers, build technical and durable skills, and understand the opportunities available right here in our community.
We are especially grateful to the businesses and organizations that participate in events such as Whippet Pathways Day, Reality Check Days, and our annual business partnership meetings. These experiences help strengthen the connections between our schools, local employers, and the broader community.
We will have more to share soon as we recognize several outstanding local business and community partners for their contributions to Whitewater students and schools. We are grateful for their continued commitment to education and to making Whitewater a great place to live, work, stay, and belong!
- Partnerships: We Need You!: Creating meaningful opportunities for our students takes a community. Our schools cannot do this alone! We are looking for local businesses and organizations that want to partner with Whitewater Unified School District to help students explore careers, develop real-world skills, and see what is possible for their future.
There are many ways to get involved. You could provide a workplace tour, speak to a class, host a job shadow, support a student work experience, or simply share your expertise and experiences with students.
If you are a local business or organization interested in getting involved with Whitewater Unified School District, please reach out to me directly or complete our Business Partnership Survey.
Complete the Business Partnership Survey
There is a place for you in this work. Together, we can build stronger school-business partnerships, create meaningful learning experiences, and help our students see what is possible for their future!
Fall sports are wrapping up and we are looking forward to watching our Whippets in postseason play. Once fall concludes, we will turn our focus to winter sports. If you are interested in signing up for a winter sport, please use our Bound website.
October 21st: Operational Referendum Presentation @ Whitewater Senior Center 1:00 pm
October 21st: Operational Referendum Presentation @ Prairie Village 3:30 pm
October 21st: Human Resources Committee @ MS LMC 5:00 pm
October 21st: Operational Referendum Presentation @ Community ESL Program 6:45 pm
October 22nd: Operational Referendum Presentation @ Delta Kappa Gamma 4:45 pm
October 26th: Regular Board Meeting @ MS 6:00 pm
October 27th: Elementary/Middle School only Parent/Teacher Conf 4:00- 7:30 pm
October 28th: 1/2 day Elementary/Middle School only Parent/Teacher Conf
October 29th - 30th: NO SCHOOL
November 6th: Evening of Jazz @ HS 7:00 pm
November 7th: Whitewater Choral Festival @ HS 3:00 pm
November 13th: NO SCHOOL Teacher In-Service
November 19th - 21st: Fall Musical @ HS 7:00 pm
November 22nd: Fall Musical @ HS 2:00 pm
November 23rd: Regular Board Meeting @ MS 6:00 pm
November 25th - 27th: NO SCHOOL HOLIDAY BREAK