Voting Yes on the RUSD Referendum: The Smartest Move You’ll Make This Year
Some debates never seem to go away. Every few years, a school referendum comes up, and a predictable chorus of opposition rises: Why should I pay for schools my kids don’t attend? Why can’t they run schools like a business? Why should I give more money to a system that isn’t working?
All fair questions. Here’s another one: What happens if this referendum fails?
Because, make no mistake, there is no neutral ground here. If this referendum doesn’t pass, things don’t stay the same. They get worse. Schools close. Class sizes balloon. Programs disappear. Teachers leave. Your property values take a hit. Your taxes go up anyway, just in different, far more frustrating ways.
And — brace yourself — even if your kids are in private school, even if you don’t have kids, even if you think RUSD could do better, this referendum is still in your best interest. Not because someone’s trying to guilt you into it. Not because education is some abstract greater good. But because smart investments pay off, and defunding public schools is like taking a sledgehammer to the foundation of your own home.
Let’s walk through this logically.
Good Schools Make for Good Neighborhoods
If you own a home, this referendum is your problem. Not because the school district is asking for money, but because your property value is directly tied to the quality of local schools. Don’t take my word for it — take the word of homebuyers, real estate agents, and economic analysts.
When people move to an area, what’s one of the first things they check? The schools. Even if they don’t have kids, even if they send their kids to private school, they know good public schools keep property values stable and growing.
Now, imagine what happens if RUSD has to start slashing budgets. Schools close. More kids get crammed into fewer classrooms. Test scores drop. Extracurriculars vanish. What does that do to the perception of Racine?
It turns it into a place people leave, not move to. And when demand goes down, so do home values. Suddenly, that tax bill you thought you were saving by voting no? It’s back, in the form of a lower home appraisal.
Still not convinced? Look at districts where school funding crumbled — Kansas, Oklahoma, Arizona. Their home values took a dive, and in many cases, it took decades to recover. This isn’t theory. It’s history.
Schools and Crime: A Relationship No One Likes to Talk About
Let’s talk about public safety. Everyone wants safer neighborhoods. No one wants rising crime. But when schools lose funding, the long-term consequences extend beyond education.
When kids don’t have access to well-funded schools, when after-school programs disappear, when class sizes swell and teachers burn out, communities feel it. Crime rates increase. Juvenile arrest rates rise. Studies have shown that when school funding increases, crime decreases. You don’t need to be a social scientist to understand why.
A 16-year-old who stays engaged in school, has access to sports, clubs, and career training, and sees a clear path forward is far less likely to end up making the kinds of decisions that lead to jail time.
On the other hand, a struggling student with no academic support, no structure, and no hope? That’s where problems start. Underfunded schools are one of the most expensive mistakes a city can make. Because if you think taxes are bad now, wait until we’re paying more for policing, courts, and incarceration.
And before someone jumps in with “but my kids don’t go to RUSD,” let’s be real: crime doesn’t care where you send your kids to school. If the community struggles, everyone feels it.
Even Private Schools Need Strong Public Schools
This might sound counterintuitive, but hear me out: if you run a private school, work for one, or send your kids to one, you should still be rooting for this referendum to pass.
Why? Because private schools don’t operate in a vacuum.
First, many private schools rely on public school infrastructure — transportation, extracurricular partnerships, dual enrollment programs. Those programs disappear if RUSD collapses.
Second, and this is key: the voucher system simply does not have the capacity to absorb a mass exodus of students from RUSD. Private schools in Racine already operate near or at full enrollment, and the state’s voucher program has limits. If public schools are gutted by funding cuts, there is no backup system waiting to catch those students. Many families would have nowhere to go.
And for students with special needs? The situation is even worse.
Under federal law, RUSD is required to provide full support services for every student with an IEP (Individualized Education Program). Private schools are not. They do not have to offer the same level of services, and in many cases, they simply cannot. Families who attempt to enroll a child with significant support needs in a private school often find that the school lacks the resources, staff, or legal obligation to fulfill those needs. The result? The student is either turned away or eventually returns to RUSD, the only system legally mandated to provide those services.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin has been chronically underfunding special education reimbursements, leaving public schools struggling to cover the full costs of mandated support services. This is part of why districts like RUSD must turn to referendums — not because they are mismanaging funds, but because the state is systematically shortchanging them.
So even if your kids are in private school, even if you think the voucher system is working, the reality is that Racine still needs a strong, functioning public school system. If RUSD loses funding, those gaps won’t be filled. They will widen, and the entire community — public and private alike — will feel the consequences.
Let’s Talk About Taxes (Because We Have To)
The knee-jerk reaction to any referendum is I don’t want to pay more taxes.
Fine. Let’s look at what happens when you don’t pay them.
If this referendum fails, does the school district just stop needing money? Nope. They still have to operate. They just have fewer resources, meaning more emergency funding requests, more temporary budget patches, and higher costs down the road.
If a school closes, if test scores drop, if families leave the area, Racine loses tax revenue. Guess what happens then? The city still needs money to function, which means… you’re paying more in other ways.
Higher property taxes. Increased fees for city services. More tax dollars going to things like law enforcement, housing assistance, and social services because we didn’t fund schools properly in the first place.
Voting no doesn’t mean you save money. It just means you pay more later.
There Is No Plan B
The RUSD referendum isn’t about politics. It isn’t about ideology. It isn’t about whether you love public schools or think they need reform.
It’s about whether you want Racine to be a thriving, competitive city or a place that struggles to attract families and businesses.
There is no backup plan. No secret fund waiting to save the district. No private sector cavalry stepping in to fill the gaps.
We invest now, or we pay later. It’s that simple.
So when you go to the polls on April 1, think beyond the next year. Think about your home value. Your neighborhood. Your city.
And vote yes — because this is one of the easiest good decisions you’ll ever make.
Full Disclosure: I previously worked for Racine Unified School District and left my position in June 2022. My views here are my own and are based on public data, economic trends, and community impact — not on any past employment with RUSD.
