SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ) — Voters in Shawano will decide on a $54.5 million school district referendum in the April 2 election.
The Shawano Board of Education is seeking the Capital Referendum to make facility improvements.
“This referendum would address all buildings, so it will have an impact on all students and all activities that students are involved in,” said Superintendent Dr. Kurt Krizan.
About 40% of the $5.45 million would go towards maintenance costs. If approved, the funds will be used for the following projects:
Hillcrest Primary & LEADS Charter School
- Renovate underutilized areas at Hillcrest Primary into a daycare.
- Update the school’s aging infrastructure and remodel classrooms.
Olga Brener Intermediate School
- Address building infrastructure that has reached the end of its useful life. Examples include replacing roof sections and heating/cooling, electrical, and plumbing systems.
- Address ADA compliance issues
Shawano Community Middle School
- Address critical maintenance needs. Examples include replacing roofs and electrical.
Shawano Community High School
- Address critical maintenance needs.
- Remodel and update classrooms and science labs.
- Expand/modernize the tech ed (shop) area to better support autos, metals, and welding.
- Build a larger weight room/fitness area for school and community use, update locker rooms, and remodel the fitness area, creating more space for physical education and wrestling.
- Update the auditorium’s sound and lighting systems, improve seating and rigging, and install an orchestra pit. It would also improve the set/costume design shop and expand music areas.
- Repair the current pool for continued district and community use.
- Update the outdoor athletics/stadium including
- Installation of permanent bleacher at the football/soccer field
- Rebuild the concessions, ticketing, and restrooms and add storage
- Build a track at the high school, along with field events stations Redesign parking and traffic flow and improve drainage
If approved, this Capital Referendum would not increase the district’s mill rate resulting in no additional tax impact for Shawano School District Residents.
If the referendum is not approved, urgent maintenance issues will still need to be fixed.
“That would mean we would have to look at other options for funding that, which ultimately would probably mean taking programs or other things away from students,” said Krizan.
To learn more about the referendum, click here.
Comments