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Judge rules Beloit school district must release email list used for referendum

By and 01/21/2025 | updated 1 year ago

(The Center Square) – A Rock County judge ruled the School District of Beloit needs to release an email distribution list used to send emails promoting the district’s $33 million referendums.

The referendums failed, both in 2023 and 2024, and the district board recently voted to put $40.2 million on the April 1 ballot, according to WCLO radio.

Resident MaryAnn Sveom brought the lawsuit after her request for the emails was denied in April 2023. She cited a similar Mequon-Thiensville School District appeals court ruling in that request and, in the recent ruling, Rock County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey S. Kuglitsch cited the Mequon-Thiensville decision.

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The school district must now produce the records and pay attorney’s fees and court costs for the requester along with $100 in damages.

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“The public deserves access to the same channels of communication that our representatives use our money to develop,” said Tom Kamenick, President and Founder of the Wisconsin Transparency Project, which represents Ms. Sveom. “Districts and other government agencies across the state should know by now that their distribution lists are public records and must be disclosed.”

Kuglitsch noted that, in both cases, the school districts used taxpayer resources to send one-sided referendum messages before denying public access to those lists.

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