Kenosha Schools Poll Shows Split on Tax Hike

A community survey found most households would back a property tax increase to maintain school programming, as the district weighs a possible April referendum.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Administration

Quiet residential street of brick and clapboard houses under an autumn maple, with a low brick school building at the far end of the block. — Most Kenosha households would back a $10 to $30 monthly property tax increase to sustain school programs, a community poll presented to the school board on Oct. 27 found. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Would you support a monthly property tax increase to keep local school programs?

Morris Leatherman Company presented results of a community poll to the Kenosha Unified School Board on Oct. 27, after phone interviews with 400 random district households. The board formally adopted the 2026-27 budget the same day, which carries a structural deficit of about $17.8 million.

Why it matters

The poll offers the district an early read on public appetite for higher property taxes as it plans a potential operational referendum. The results will shape how the board weighs spending cuts against revenue increases in the coming budget cycle.

The poll surveyed 400 random district households by phone between Sept. 30 and Oct. 13, with 80% supporting a tax increase to maintain programming and half describing themselves as financially stressed. Support fell sharply as the monthly increase rose from $10 to $30, and the poll does not show how voters would respond to an actual referendum.

The players

Kenosha Unified School District

The public school district serving Kenosha, Wisconsin, which is weighing a possible operational referendum to address its budget shortfall.

Morris Leatherman Company

A Wisconsin-based public opinion research firm that conducted the district's community poll on tax increases and school funding.

The details

The poll asked households about property tax increases of $10, $20, and $30 per month to fund proposed district items. Morris Leatherman Company was hired by the board in August to conduct the survey, which was commissioned as part of the district's referendum planning.

August 2026: The School Board voted to hire Morris Leatherman Company for the poll.
Sept. 30 to Oct. 13, 2026: Phone interviews with 400 random 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 to be presented at a board meeting.
April 2027: The board has planned to potentially pursue an operational referendum.

Legal Context

Under Wisconsin's revenue limits, districts can exceed their allowable property tax levy only with voter approval through an operational referendum. Kenosha Unified's planned April vote follows that same path used by districts across the state when structural deficits outpace state aid.

Families in Kenosha Unified could face a monthly property tax increase if voters approve a referendum, with the poll showing support declining as the increase grows from $10 to $30 per month. Residents will have a direct say at the ballot box if the board moves forward with an April vote.

The takeaway

Community support for school funding is strongest at the lowest proposed tax increase, so the district's referendum messaging will need to show residents exactly what each dollar buys. Watching how the staffing audit and budget deficit are addressed will reveal whether the district can close its gap without relying on voter-approved revenue.

What happens next

ERS staffing audit results will be presented at the School Board's November 2026 meeting, and the board has planned to potentially pursue an operational referendum in April 2027.