MONROE — According to preliminary results from the Nov. 8 election, Monroe has something to celebrate. With all School District of Monroe precincts reporting, the ballot question on the $88 million referendum had 3,741 “Yes” votes, and 3,121 “No” votes, a difference of about 10 percentage points.

“It’s an election and we knew there would be a lot of difference of opinions and disagreements,” said Rodney Figueroa, Monroe’s District Administrator. “We are very pleased and thankful to the community. We are really looking forward to building one of the most modern high schools in the country, and a building that will serve the community well for many, many years.”

The referendum would see just over $3 million go to renovate Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, with the rest of the money going toward the purchase of land, the building of a new high school and sports complex on the new site, as well as the possible demolition of the previous high school. The tentative 77-acre site is located on the far east side of town off of 31st Avenue, though there are several contingencies that have to pass in order for the about location to be used.

No other plans have been finalized on the project. The district has already gotten to work on moving forward. 

“It felt good for a few minutes, then we just got right into the planning phase,” Figueroa said. Much of Wednesday was spent trying to secure funding at the most optimal way. The Board of Education will meet with Baird Financial on Wednesday, Nov. 16 to discuss more specifics.

Figueroa said that the district would be talking with engineers and creating a bid packet soon, and likely bids would  be taken throughout the winter and into the spring. The new location will have its contingencies tested to be sure the site will be usable, or else the district will have to look at a potential new site to house the school. 

Once the contingencies pass, the district and the city will have to begin working together to outline plans for streets, curbs, plumbing and other utilities. Figueroa said the project is tentatively planned to break ground in Fall 2023, though likely won’t be completed until summer or fall 2025.

The new high school will likely be designed as a two-story structure with several open spaces for collaborative learning. There will be a new performing arts center, gymnasiums and outdoor sports complex. The estimated tax impact, or mill rate, for the district will be $9.33 — just $0.13 higher per $1,000 of tax value than the 2021-22 school year, and less than the previous 35 years before that. That means the district’s tax rate would increase $13 per year on a $100,000 home, $26 a year on a $200,000 home, or $52 a year on a $400,000 home.

At the community forum held in October, district officials said they hoped the high school project would be completed by Fall 2024, or early winter 2025. 

There will need to be a decision to make on what to do with the old high school, originally built in 1958 and last renovated in 2000. Water infiltration issues have plagued the building in recent decades, and part of the flooring and walls of the “new” portion has gradually separated from the rest of the building, creating a hazard. Running water under the floors, in the foundation, and in the walls from a leaky roof has created further issues for the facility, like mold. The district will have three years to decide what to do with the building, which could be sold, partially torn down, or — as a last case scenario — torn down and made into a green space.

In state-wide races, Green County picked Democrats Tony Evers and Sarah Rodriguez for the Governor/Lieutenant Governor with 54.8% of the vote (9,603-7,681) over Tim Michels and Roger Roth. About 1.3% of the vote went to Independent candidate Joan Ellis Beglinger. In Lafayette County, Michels won 3,249-2,834. Overall, with 99% of the vote in Wednesday afternoon, Evers led Michels by nearly 3.5%, with Michels conceding hours after the election.

In Green County, Mandela Barnes (D) fared better than incumbent Ron Johnson (R), 52.1%-47.8%, while in Lafayette County it was flipped 57.1%-42.8%. The state-wide race had Johnson as the projected winner, leading by a full percentage point — or about 27,000 votes, with just 1% of votes needing yet to be tallied.

Attorney General Josh Kaul (D) carried Green County with 9,000 votes, or 51.8%, and won the state by more than a full point. Doug La Follette carried Green County with 50.9% in the Secretary of State race and held a razor-thin 0.2% margin over Amy Loudenbeck with 99% of the votes tallied. Aaron Richardson (D) won the State Treasurer race in Green County with 50.4%, but Republican John Leiber led by 1.6% with the final votes being counted Wednesday morning. 

While Green and Lafayette Counties were on opposite sides in the states races, including U.S. Rep. District 2 with incumbent Mark Pocan (D) vs. Erik Olsen (R), both counties overwhelmingly voted to keep Republicans Howard Marklein and Todd Novak in office in the state Senate and Assembly. While not all results were in, Pocan is expected to win re-election with over 71% of the votes and less than 30% yet to be counted.