Board votes to place $39.8 million referendum to benefit all students, all schools
The Wautoma Area School Board unanimously approved a resolution to place a $39.8 million capital referendum on the November 5, 2024 ballot during their Work Meeting at Parkside School on Aug. 19. The referendum resolution language adopted is, “BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of the Wautoma Area School District, Waushara County, Wisconsin that there shall be issued pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $39,800,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school facility improvement project consisting of: district-wide renovations, construction of secure entrances, capital maintenance, building infrastructure and systems improvements; construction of a middle school addition at Wautoma High School; possible removal of Riverview Elementary School and site restoration; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment.”
Previous to 2024, the mill rate for residents living in the Wautoma Area School District has continued to decline, with the most recent year being at $5.71 per $1,000 of property value. A successful referendum would increase the school district mill rate by $1.74 per $1,000. In other words, a property with a fair market value of $100,000 would see a maximum tax impact of $14.50 per month.
“Due to an inadequate state funding formula, school districts across the state are adopting referendum questions for either operations or capital projects,” said WASD Chief Financial Officer Carmen O’Brien. “Two primary differences between school districts and other entities who are allowed to tax are that school districts must ask the electorate if taxes can be increased, and once a number is adopted, the District cannot exceed the amount.”
The Board arrived at this District-Wide Long Range Facilities Plan after review of the Community Survey results presented earlier this month and in consultation with representatives from Plunkett Raysich Architects and Findorff, a construction firm. This shift in direction from building an entirely new elementary school for $44.1M to reconfiguring grade levels to allow Riverview Elementary School to be closed and turned into a green space for the community is responsive to WASD resident feedback about cost and grade level reconfiguration suggestions, along with the budget for maintenance. Additional components of this plan include providing necessary maintenance and secure entries at the remaining three buildings as well as renovations to Parkside as it becomes an Early Childhood through 5th grade building and an addition to the High School to accommodate 6-8th grade students joining the campus.
During the Aug. 12 and 19 Board meetings, Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP Partner and Educational Planner Devin Kack helped guide the Board through the process of narrowing options and determining the Plan. Among the greatest concerns for WASD administrators and the Board is the needed maintenance at all District buildings within the next 5 years and, given the state funding formula, how to afford these costs within the District budget. WASD Director of Maintenance Andy DeKeyser explained the District will continue to make things work however, there are a lot of needs at Riverview, including the hard surface play area and boilers, but Parkside is also showing 30-year-old problems.
The Board, in considering maintenance needs and the conditions of the buildings, felt the option of moving 6th and 7th grade to Riverview and 4K-3 to Parkside (with 8th graders headed to the High School) in an attempt to lessen the number of students at Riverview and thus wear-and-tear was not a good solution given costs needed to improve spaces for Middle School science, STEM, and Band. Kack explained if the Board chose to close Riverview rather than sunset it, Early Childhood through Grade 5 could move to Parkside and an addition could be built onto the High School for middle school students. While this costs more, it is a District-wide solution.
Kack said the option to build an addition on to the high school to accommodate 6th, 7th and 8th grades would cost about $17.6 million and would provide a secure entry for the entire school, special education spaces, a commons/cafeteria just for middle schoolers, administrative offices, and will have a corridor to connect to the high school for students to share music, gym, art, and other specials they may not otherwise be offered at their current location. By adding the addition and reconfiguring Parkside, the District could raze the current Riverview building and convert it to a green space in order to be responsible to the community. He also added the timeline for all of this to occur would be two years, with maintenance at all of the buildings being incorporated throughout the design and construction process of the Parkside renovations and middle school addition to the high school.
At the conclusion of the discussion, the Board felt confident in moving forward to a referendum question in order to provide secure entries at Redgranite Elementary and Parkside, an addition to WHS to accommodate 6-8th grade, and the closing and razing of Riverview Elementary within two years.