Luxemburg-Casco School District Superintendent Jo-Ellen Fairbanks and Sturgeon Bay School District Superintendent Dan Tjernagel will stay patient when it comes to the state’s school funding formula. 

Both districts saw voters approve their respective referendum questions Tuesday, with Luxemburg-Casco passing its referendum 2,172-1,958, while Sturgeon Bay voters approved theirs by a 2,487-1,871 margin.

School funding was a major topic for area Democrats on the campaign trail, with candidates calling for an overhaul of the current system. Some also campaigned to reverse former Gov. Scott Walker's Act 10, which curtailed collective bargaining rights for public employees but also reduced costs for local governments, including school districts.

Fairbanks is appreciative of the support the district’s residents give its schools, whether it is at the ballot box, in the stands, or out in the community. She hopes the new Legislature takes a closer look at the school funding formula rather than simply throwing money at the problem.

Tjernagel is thankful for the community's support, regardless of how residents voted on the referendum. He says the area’s superintendents are taking a wait-and-see approach to the Legislature’s approach to school funding. Until then, he knows the work is not done when it comes to being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and finding ways to save money wherever possible.

Seventy-nine school districts had referendum questions on last Tuesday's ballot, with 45 approved to provide $1.3 billion in funding. Southern Door, Gillett and Oconto were among the school districts that saw their referendum questions fail.