MONROE — On Monday, January 11, the Monroe School District’s Board of Education voted unanimously (8-0) to adopt a resolution to pursue a facilities referendum asking District taxpayers to approve a general obligation bond to fund improvements and repairs at Northside Elementary School.
The proposed referendum question would be presented to district voters on the April 6 ballot of this year. The decision follows a detailed analysis, evaluation and presentations by the District and their consulting partners — CG Schmidt Construction and Plunkett Raysich Architects (PRA) on the condition of the District’s facilities.
Most recently, in December, the Board of Education listened to a presentation by CG
Schmidt and PRA on the building needs facing Northside Elementary School and the recommendations to address the numerous concerns identified. One of the most pressing issues is replacing the deteriorated water main from inside the building to the manhole located on the west side of the building, requiring concrete slab cutting and patching, asphalt patching and landscape restoration.
Representatives from the District, along with representatives from CG Schmidt Construction, Plunkett Raysich Architects, and North American Mechanical, Inc (NAMI), conducted a thorough review of the mechanical systems within the school, especially the HVAC system. A review of the existing system found it to be badly outdated and inefficient to maintain and operate, as well as lacking in several areas of the building, including the gymnasium. The consultants compared three HVAC options taking into account target costs, operating expenses, annual maintenance, quality of the air, noise contribution, life cycle costs, outdoor visual impact and outdoor noise impact. Any significant upgrade to those systems would require additional accommodations, such as roof reinforcement for rooftop HVAC units, or replacement of door grills to improve air circulation. This work would be completed during the summer of 2022.
Other building needs identified are related to water penetration issues along a building seam and the general condition of the cedar siding and soffits, which may require replacement with an alternative material. Similar to the Parkside Elementary School renovations completed in 2019, Northside also needs to replace existing lighting with new LED fixtures, and upgrade existing bathrooms to be ADA compliant and meet code requirements.
The Board of Education will continue to work with the District’s partners to develop a detailed and specific plan to address these issues.
“At this point, there is no debt service remaining on the buildings, interest rates are at an all time low, and construction costs will only continue to rise. Addressing all issues with the building at once, rather than piece-mealing later makes sense for the District,” said board president Rich Deprez.
The proposed Northside Elementary project is part of the District’s Long-Range Master Plan for upgrading and maintaining their facilities. In 2018, district voters approved a similar referendum question to address urgent maintenance issues at Parkside Elementary and Monroe Middle School. The next step in the Master Plan would address needs at the Monroe High School.
Those interested in learning more about the condition of Northside Elementary or future plans for the Monroe High School should contact the District Administrator, Rick Waski via email at rickwaski@monroe.k12.wi.us, or check out the district website at www.monroeschools.com