Monroe School District referendum stirs controversy and a lawsuit

A group of Monroe residents are awaiting the results of a lawsuit filed against the school district for a referendum passed in November. The group filed the lawsuit claiming the referendum, which raised the district levy, was misleading. The referendum would fund an $88 million Monroe School District project, including a land purchase and the building of a new high school. Payment for the projects will be reflected in the district levy for the next 21 years. The referendum would raise the district levy from $9.20 to $9.33, adding the increase would be closer to $13 on a $100,000 home and $26 on a $200,000 home. According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, levy rates are levied per $1,000, meaning if your home value goes up over $1,000, the levy rate does too. Some people in Monroe say they felt shocked by their property taxes in December and misled by how the numbers were presented.