MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin voters saw a record number of school referendums on their ballots in 2024 and approved a record number of the funding requests, according to a report released Thursday.

The Wisconsin Policy Forum study found that school districts asked voters to sign off on a record 241 referendums, eclipsing the old record of 240 set in 1998. The referendums sought a total of $5.9 billion, a new record ask. The old record was $3.3 billion set in 2022.

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Voters approved 169 referendums, breaking the old record of 140 set in 2018. They authorized a record total of $4.4 billion in new funding for school districts, including $3.3 billion in debt. The old record, unadjusted for inflation, was $2.7 billion set in 2020.

A total of 145 districts – more than a third of the state’s 421 public school districts – passed a referendum in 2024. Voters in the Madison Metropolitan School District approved the largest referendums in the state, signing off on a record $507 million debt referendum and a $100 million operating referendum.

The report attributed the rising number of referendums to increases in inflation outpacing increases in the state’s per pupil revenue limits, which restrict how much money districts can raise through property taxes and state aid.

Increasing pressure to raise wages and the loss of federal COVID-19 pandemic relief aid also have played a role, according to the report.

The Wisconsin Policy Forum is a nonpartisan, independent policy research organization.

Despite its 2024 output on the field, Wisconsin’s football program sure knows how to attract fans to Camp Randall Stadium for every home game.

The program announced on Wednesday that it has sold out Camp Randall in anticipation of its game vs. No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 16. The sellout is its fifth this season, the most at Camp Randall Stadium since 2008, per Wisconsin Athletics.

Saturday’s game will mark the first time Wisconsin welcomes a No. 1 foe into its home stadium since Oct. 16, 2010. That day, the Badgers upset No. 1 Ohio State 31-18 in a stunner.

Wisconsin also encourages all of its fans, not just the student section, to wear red and arrive early for the contest.

Saturday’s dress code: 🚨RED OUT🚨 pic.twitter.com/OxD3RfURU6

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 13, 2024

Not atypical for such a monumental game, Wisconsin will honor one of its greatest alumnus during Saturday’s bout. The Badgers will honor legendary running back Melvin Gordon on the 10-year anniversary of his 408-yard explosion against Nebraska on Nov. 15, 2014.

That season, Gordon finished with 2,587 rushing yards, a Big Ten record and the second-most in FBS history. He was named the Doak Walker Award winner and the runner-up for the ’14 Heisman Trophy behind Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Even though the Badgers may be outmatched against the Ducks on Saturday, Camp Randall should be alive with excitement.

MADISON – A four-star point guard, a 7-foot center and an international recruit.

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s 2025 recruiting class became official Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.

It is also the first time that Badgers coach Greg Gard was allowed to publicly discuss his new players.

Here is a closer look at the class.

Will Garlock, center

Committed: June 8.

Hometown: Middleton.

High School: Middleton.

Club team: Team Herro.

Height: 7-0.

Ratings: Rivals, 247sports, On3 and ESPN list Garlock as a three-star recruit.

The lowdown: Garlock averaged 16.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game for Middleton last season. He connected on 66.5% of his shots, including 31.2% from three-point range. He received honorable mention on the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division 1 all-state team.

Gard said: We are happy to have Will joining our Badger family. Growing up as a hometown kid located in our backyard, wearing the Wisconsin jersey and being a part of this program means a lot to Will. He has a lot of potential and we see him fitting into our long line of successful big men here at Wisconsin.

Will has the size and the athleticism to compete at a high level, and he will fit right in with our style of play and with how the college game has evolved in recent years. Coming off an injury last season, we are excited to watch Will continue to keep trending towards his immense potential. We look forward to seeing him continuously throughout the upcoming season before he joins us in the summer months ahead. Our staff is eagerly waiting to start helping Will develop into a really good front line addition.

Hayden Jones, guard

Committed: July 25.

Hometown: Nelson, New Zealand.

Club team: Nelson Giants.

Height: 6-7.

Ratings: Unrated international prospect.

The lowdown: Jones has played for the Nelson Giants, a professional team, the past two seasons. He averaged 2.9 points and 1.3 assists per game last season. He has represented New Zealand in multiple international tournaments and last February became the fourth-youngest player (at age 17) to play for the New Zealand national team. His father, Phill, was a teammate of UW assistant Kirk Penney on the New Zealand national team.

Gard said: We are excited about the addition of Hayden to our program. He has really grown in terms of his actual size, and at 6-foot-7 he is very versatile. Hayden has developed himself into a player that can play point guard, plus the two and three positions. Defensively, he’s long and does an excellent job of guarding players and disrupting shots at the rim with his natural size and ability.

He’s also a great rebounder at his position. He has 20-plus rebound games at the guard position, which is really hard to do and shows that he has a nose for the ball. Hayden has a high basketball IQ and we are looking forward to him coming into our program and absorbing what we do here. He comes from an athletic family, which includes his father, Phill, who was an elite shooter for the New Zealand senior national team and one of the leading scorers in the 2004 Olympics. We are thrilled to have Hayden joining our program and we are eager to help him grow.

Zach Kinziger, guard

Committed: Aug. 4, 2023.

Hometown: De Pere.

High School: De Pere.

Club team: Team Herro.

Height: 6-3.

Ratings: ESPN and 247sports list Kinziger as a four-star recruit. On3 and Rivals consider him a three-star prospect.

The lowdown: ESPN ranks him as the No. 68 prospect in the 2025 class. He averaged 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game for the Redbirds and was a first team WBCA first-team all-state selection. Last season he helped his team advance to the sectional final. De Pere won a state championship his sophomore season.

Gard said: We are very excited to have Zach joining our program. Growing up in the state of Wisconsin, playing for this program is a dream for him. While evaluating him, it did not take long for my staff and I to identify Zach for his shooting, competitive drive, basketball IQ, and the effort that he competes with on the defensive end.

Zach has been one of the best shooters in all of high school basketball, which will remind Wisconsin fans of many former Badgers that have helped our program sustain a high level of success. As the son of a coach, Zach plays the game the right way, and he has earned everything that has come his way. Just as impressive is Zach’s preparation in the classroom and the hard work that he puts into academics. We are excited for Zach to join our Badger Family and we can’t wait to begin working with him to help him reach his goals.