PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Manitowoc school district will ask voters for permission to borrow up to $25 million for building maintenance and upgrades.
At its meeting Tuesday, the school board approved placing the referendum on the April 1 ballot.
The money would be used for projects such as:
- Student pick-up, traffic and pedestrian safety improvements
- Electrical main services, emergency generators and fire alarm upgrades
- LED lighting and security cameras
- HVAC and plumbing systems
- Exterior tuckpointing, windows, roofs, doors, ceilings and floors
- Asphalt parking and concrete sidewalk repairs
- ADA – elevators, ramps and bathrooms
“We have aging buildings that were built in the 1920s, ’30s, ’50s and ’60s,” interim superintendent Lee Thennes said in a news release. “Under state revenue limits, we have had to prioritize staffing and student programs over facilities, but many building components are at the end of their useful life. We need to make these improvements for the safety and security of our students, staff and families.”
If approved, the referendum would add 16 cents per $1,000 of property value for 2025-26 property taxes. The owner of a house valued at $200,000 would pay an extra $32 in taxes.
Last year, a facilities assessment identified $47 million in immediate needs and a total of $161 million in repairs and safety improvements needed over the next 10 years. After that report, former superintendent James Feil brought forward a plan to close two elementary schools. He said doing so would save about $30 million. The school board rejected that plan in July, while also voting to sell the central office building.
The district is forming a Community Facilities Advisory Committee that will meet monthly from February until the fall to develop recommendations for a long-term master plan for facilities. A separate advisory committee made up of staff members is also set to make recommendations to the board in the fall.
This is the first time in 28 years the Manitowoc school district has held a referendum.
Comments