Birchwood school referendum passes

Voters in the Birchwood School District, which includes parts of Barron, Washburn and Sawyer counties, gave their permission for the school to exceed its revenue limit by $2.6 million.

The referendum passed easily, with 67% of voters giving their approval, according to the unofficial tally.

Birchwood School District can now exceed its revenue limit by $2,600,000 on a recurring basis to sustain curriculum and updated technology for students, cover costs for buildings and grounds, and continue training for staff.

The cost to the taxpayer is estimated to be an average of $4 for every $100,000 in home value for the first year of referendum, which will be the 2025/26 school year.

The current five-year referendum ends soon and this will replace the funding.

The measure was one of 91 local school district referendums on Tuesday’s ballot, which marks an increase from 2023, when 82 referendums were on ballots statewide.