It's an operational referendum on the ballot for the April 7 Spring Election for the Watertown Unified School District. As voters head to the polls, they will be asked to vote on an operational referendum that would provide, if it is approved, $4.5 million per year for five years to fund district operational, instructional, and day-to-day maintenance expenses.

Funding from the last approved operational referendum ended in 2023. The district was able to extend funding from that last referendum across additional school years. Now, those funds have expired, and the money that is currently received through state aid and property taxes is not enough to fund daily district operating expenses such as salaries, utilities, transportation, and day-to-day building maintenance.

Even if the April 7 referendum is successful, the Watertown School Board remains committed to making further deep budget reductions in operations such as staffing, programming and building maintenance for the 2026-27 school year and beyond. 

In order to reduce the district’s overall operating budget, the Watertown Board voted at its February 23, 2026 meeting to close Lincoln Elementary School and LEAP Elementary School at the conclusion of the 2026-2027 school year.

Last April, the Board of Education asked voters to consider a $7 million operational referendum, which was not successful.