SOUTH WAYNE — It has been a long time coming, but shovels ceremoniously hit dirt Nov. 1 at Black Hawk Schools. After a series of delays — from bid costs well above referendum dollars to a contractor going bankrupt — construction on the new addition has begun.
“This addition is hope and excitement for our community members, staff and students,” said Dee Paulson, school board president. “I would like to thank the community members of our six villages for having faith in the future of the Black Hawk school district by voting and supporting us here today.”
She also thanked former and current staff for making Black Hawk what it is today, saying that their “dedication to this school and the community does not go unnoticed.”
Students, staff, school board members and various community supporters came out to the assembly held in the gymnasium at the end of the day on Nov. 1. After the assembly, board members, school administration and others invested in the project held a ceremonial groundbreaking outside the school.
During the assembly, six different people spoke to the crowd: superintendent Willy Chambers, Paulson, veteran staff members Rachel Wolff and Kurt Ellefson, former board member Dusty Williams and community member Mike Powers. Williams, Wolff, Powers and Paulson were on the community support group, which led the years-long charge to campaign and supply information to the electorate in hopes of passing the referendum, which ultimately happened in the spring of 2022.
“Prior to the referendum, a handful of people came together to form the Black Hawk Community Pride Committee,” Williams said. “They believed in this project 100%. There were several others that helped along the way. I am so proud this committee never backed down … there were lots of naysayers, and people that would say it wouldn’t happen, but they battled the negativity on social media with facts. We are here today because they believed in this, and believed we can do this.”
Wolff, who has been in the school as a student, teacher and coach for 44 years combined, said she struggled to figure out how to put into words how much the school has positively impacted her life with such little time to speak at the ceremony. She moved to the district at age 7, rode Dick Schliem’s bus on her first day and was “scared to death” of her new surroundings.
“After 11 years in school, and more than 30 years of teaching and coaching, I stand here today and admit that I was wrong, and I am never wrong — ask my students,” Wolff joked. “Moving here ended up being one of the greatest changes of my life. I have so many fond memories of this building and the people within it. … I love it here. The fact is, change is a good thing, and it is a necessity for growth. And growth moved us forward. And the word Forward brings to mind our state motto, which reflects Wisconsin’s continuous drive to be a national leader.”
She said the process has been a little bittersweet. Sentimentally, having the building change is sad, as the building has long been an important part of history of the community.
“I don’t want to let go of those great memories, but I hold on to the fact that those great memories will always be there whether the building is here or not. From a growth standpoint, it will be a change for the better,” Wolff said. “We all know that a structure doesn’t create or ensure success. But scientific studies have shown that when you look better, you feel better; and when you feel better, you do better. We want our Black Hawk students to feel better and do better — not only to compete against surrounding districts, but to be productive citizens in our world, which is ever-changing and advancing.”
The project
In 2021, voters turned down $14.225 million for capital improvements, which included removal of a portion of the current building while constructing a new portion to replace it. Then 365 days later, an $8.5 million referendum passed, aiming for similar goals.
Over the following months, the United States saw its largest increase of inflation and costs of building materials and wages also increased. So, while Black Hawk was happy to have a new project get approval by voters, the cost of the project came in nearly 25% higher due to the timing.
A plan was put in place to alter the scope of the project, and on May 23, 2022, Chambers, two representatives from HSR Associates and one from Fisher Excavating met with three reps from Empire Construction to review the timeline and general phasing of the project. They had planned to begin work on June 5, 2023, and be done with the project 14 months later in August 2024.
However, on May 31, things began to unravel. Empire Construction, which is involved in 19 other projects bonded by Old Republic Surety Company, stopped answering attempted contacts, and the June 1 groundbreaking was postponed. The following day, Old Republic’s attorney, Andrea Jahimiak, was informed Empire would be unable to complete the project. The district had not yet provided Empire any funds. On June 7, Sjonstrom and Sons, the second lowest bidder for the project, was contacted for a June 16 meeting to discuss the possibility of taking over the project.
In October, the first part of the project began in earnest, as the baseball field was demolished and paved over for a parking lot. The next phase of the project can now begin.
Chambers said the goal is to have the new building operational during the 2024-25 school year.
“There may be a few finishing touches at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, but the intent is that nothing would be left that would prohibit the use of the new space. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees,” Chambers said.
He added that an updated timeline was due to come in from the contractors on Friday, Nov. 3, after the Monroe Times’ publishing deadline.
Remembering a Warrior, through and through
The speakers at the assembly all made their long-lasting connections to the district known. Wolff spent 11 years as a student at Black Hawk and has now taught at the school for over 30 years. Powers was a Black Hawk grad. Paulson is the school board president. Williams briefly taught at the school and has served on the school board, and Ellefson has been a mainstay as the school’s physical education teacher for years.
“I am humbled and gracious that I was asked to be a part of this ceremony,” said Ellefson, who has worked for the district for over 30 years. He told the students in the crowd, “This is a momentous moment for all of Warrior Nation. This is your championship for your education — an iconic moment for you.”
He had two students bring out the Black Hawk Warriors flag that has followed the school to state championships in football and girls basketball, and said that this assembly was another “where were you when this happened?” moment, and thus, the flag was appropriate.
While much of the assembly was built on a bright future of the school moving Forward — like the Wisconsin motto — thanks to a safe, new building, there was also a somber remembrance for a beloved longtime teacher and Warrior supporter. Richard “Dick” Meske, of South Wayne, spent 33 years teaching agriculture at the school, as well as being the FFA Advisor.
After retirement, he continued to substitute at Black Hawk, as well as attend sporting and other district events, and school board meetings. Meske was a part of the community support group, but a week before the assembly he turned down an offer to attend and speak, due to poor health. Meske, 73, died two days prior to the assembly on Oct. 30 at SSM Health Monroe Hospital.
“Mr. Dick Meske was a true Black Hawk Warrior through and through,” Paulson said. “All the people that I have talked to said he was one of the best. Great words were expressed about Dick, and I had the great pleasure of getting to know him on the referendum committee. He was kind, caring, hopeful for the future of Black Hawk.”
After retiring from Black Hawk, he worked part-time at Big Radio, pushing buttons behind the scenes, including during radio broadcasts of Black Hawk football, basketball and baseball games. He was a devoted member of Resurrection Lutheran Church; where he served as President and Council Member. His visitation was Nov. 3, with the funeral scheduled for 11 a.m. on Nov. 4 at Resurrection Lutheran Church.
Williams said he cherished his short amount of time working for the district as the ag teacher and FFA Advisor, and he was pleased he got to know Meske, his predecessor.
“Mr. Meske was a big part of my love and dedication to Black Hawk. He taught me so much about how to be a good human being. The skills he rubbed off on me were priceless. Mr. Meske always said, there are three ways to lead: By example, by example, and by example,” Williams said. “He also would say, ‘Those who can, do, and those who can’t, don’t.’ And, ‘If you think you can, you will, and if you think you can’t, you won’t’.”
Williams, now at Blackhawk Technical College in Monroe, said that in his short amount of time in the Black Hawk school district, he grew to respect the people, the school and the students that “make this place so good.”
“Black Hawk has a great history of sports, FFA, band, forensics and many other things,” Williams said. “There’s just so much pride here and so much to be proud of. It’s not so much the building that makes this place great, it’s the people. And it’s the people, including all of you students, that deserve a safe and up to date educational space.”