Janesville just handed its school district $166 million. It’s time to ask where the money is going.
We are organizing concerned residents to educate their neighbors, improve public policy at the local level, and save our schools. Are you in?
Janesville's educational failures by the numbers
Janesville's educational challenges are real and persistent. Here is the data behind the local failures.
Janesville students testing proficient in math. The district spends $13,778 per student per year. That gap between investment and outcome is a question every Janesville parent and taxpayer deserves an honest answer to.
The temporary operating tax measure Janesville voters approved in November 2024, set to expire in June 2027. The district's chief financial officer said plainly: without it, the budget conversation would have been very different. When it expires, voters will be asked to approve it again.
The capital construction bond Janesville voters approved in November 2024, in the same election as the operating tax measure. Combined, the two measures committed Janesville taxpayers to nearly $166 million in new school spending, approved in a single off-cycle vote that most residents may not have known was happening.
The school district's current tax rate, up from $7.05 just two years ago, a 9% increase in the rate alone. For the owner of a $300,000 home, the school district portion of the property tax bill is now $2,310/year, and that is before the county, city, and technical college portions are added.
What's Driving It
Policy Failures
A Funding Model Built on Recurring Emergency Votes
The School District of Janesville has structured a significant portion of its budget around temporary tax measures that must be renewed by voters every two years. The $14.5 million operational measure approved in 2024 is the continuation of one first passed in 2020. When it expires in 2027, the district will return to voters again. This is not a sustainable funding model, it is a cycle of managed crisis that keeps taxpayers perpetually one vote away from program cuts, and keeps the district perpetually campaigning instead of planning.
Spending Up, Proficiency Still Low
The Janesville school district spends $13,778 per student annually and has grown its budget to $148 million. Yet only 32% of students test proficient in math and 38% in reading. The district did improve its state report card score in 2024-25, which is a genuine positive, but it still rates only "Meets Expectations," the middle tier of five, and middle school math proficiency sits at just 21%. More spending has not yet translated into the outcomes Janesville families deserve, and that gap demands honest public conversation.
Wisconsin's Pandemic Learning Loss Has Not Been Recovered
Statewide, 83% of Wisconsin students are in school districts where average math achievement in 2024 still sits below 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Reading is worse — 94% of Wisconsin students are in districts still below 2019 reading levels. Janesville is part of this statewide trend, and the billions in federal relief money sent to Wisconsin schools have not closed the gap. Janesville taxpayers funded that recovery effort through their federal taxes. They deserve to know why it has not worked.
We Need Leaders Like You
Communities like yours need leaders to change children's outcomes. They're protected by driven residents who show up, speak out, and take action.
Education
Learn how the local government functions, how to speak at community events and to board members directly.
Connection
Connect with a growing network of neighbors who share your concerns and are ready to stand together and demand change.
Action
Get practical tools to participate in school board and other city government meetings, submit public comments, and hold local officials accountable.
Support
Ongoing help from experienced community advocates who've successfully driven change across Janesville and other parts of Wisconsin.
Are You In?
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