NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Neenah will be getting a brand new high school next year. But the cost is a lot higher than many initially thought.
The pandemic has played a part in the final price tag.
“The project has come in over budget,” said Jim Strick, communications manager for the Neenah Joint School District. “But I think that’s pretty common right now for most construction projects that are happening these days. Our steel bid was quite a bit over. The materials cost right now are really, really high in all facets of construction. That really is, for us, the number one factor. That was about $7 million of the $14 million.”
The project may be about $14 million over budget, but district officials insist that will have no impact on the taxpayers.
However, some residents tell FOX 11 they don’t believe that.
“Not by any means, ” said Josh Uphold, Neenah resident.
“The original referendum that they had, they said the building they wanted… I forget the dollar amount, or whatever, to raise the taxes and all for 20 years. That tax, they said, isn’t guaranteed to fall off after 20 years, and they’re only estimating this building to last for 50 years.”
Neenah voters passed the nearly $115 million referendum for the new high school in April of 2020. This came a year after a $129 million referendum to create a new middle school, replacing Shattuck Middle School, failed.
“I agree that we definitely need a newer middle school,” Uphold said, “but the referendum they asked for that was for like a million something dollar sports complex, and we didn’t need that.”
While some may think building a new high school is not what Neenah needs, district officials say part of the extra spending will pay off in the long run, like with their decision to add a geothermal system.
“A lot of buildings are doing that now,” Strick sad. “It just makes sense as an investment, and so that was part of it, as well.”
The new high school will open in the fall of 2023. The current building will become Neenah Middle School.
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