NEW GLARUS - The New Glarus school board is looking at ways to address future space needs while keeping costs down.
Gone are its initial building plans - with a cost of $15 to $18 million. The board decided it would be too costly for district residents, already reeling in a struggling economy.
"The board deserves a lot of credit for trying to be fiscally responsible," said Bill Conzemius, district superintendent.
Now, there's new plans in the works. School officials plan to send information to district residents about a new, less expensive plan in coming days. There will be a public hearing to discuss space needs issues at the school board's Jan. 10 meeting.
In March, the board hired Plunkett-Raysich and Associates to analyze the district's building and maintenance needs, Conzemius said. After a three-month study, the firm offered six proposals to the board. On Sept. 27, officials narrowed the construction ideas to two.
The first plan called for the district to build a two-story addition to the high school for grades five through eight, at a cost of about $19 million. The second called for the district to build a new elementary school for pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, at a cost of about $15.5 million.
But Conzemius said the board learned such building plans would add about 20 percent to district residents' property taxes. And the board wasn't willing to do something like that.
"They're all taxpayers, too, " he said. "They said we needed to go back to the drawing board."
As an alternative to the initial plans, Conzemius said the board is considering two options that will be less expensive.
One plan calls for the district to add eight classrooms, a new gymnasium and four bathrooms to the middle school/high school. Also, the district would renovate the elementary school and add two classrooms.
Conzemius said cost estimates for that work would be as high as $11 million.
However, the cost to the district could be substantially less than if a new gymnasium wasn't added at the middle school/high school, and if new classrooms weren't added onto the elementary school.
Still, the board doesn't want to make the decision about adding onto the schools without hearing from the public, Conzemius said, adding that the push for building enhancements is driven by space needs.
New Glarus has a student population of about 900, and a study done by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in August determined the district's enrollment will continue to increase over the next 10 years.
There are also maintenance issues that need to be addressed in the buildings. The elementary school needs roof repairs, new and more energy efficient windows, and also has lingering moisture problems, he added.
Gone are its initial building plans - with a cost of $15 to $18 million. The board decided it would be too costly for district residents, already reeling in a struggling economy.
"The board deserves a lot of credit for trying to be fiscally responsible," said Bill Conzemius, district superintendent.
Now, there's new plans in the works. School officials plan to send information to district residents about a new, less expensive plan in coming days. There will be a public hearing to discuss space needs issues at the school board's Jan. 10 meeting.
In March, the board hired Plunkett-Raysich and Associates to analyze the district's building and maintenance needs, Conzemius said. After a three-month study, the firm offered six proposals to the board. On Sept. 27, officials narrowed the construction ideas to two.
The first plan called for the district to build a two-story addition to the high school for grades five through eight, at a cost of about $19 million. The second called for the district to build a new elementary school for pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, at a cost of about $15.5 million.
But Conzemius said the board learned such building plans would add about 20 percent to district residents' property taxes. And the board wasn't willing to do something like that.
"They're all taxpayers, too, " he said. "They said we needed to go back to the drawing board."
As an alternative to the initial plans, Conzemius said the board is considering two options that will be less expensive.
One plan calls for the district to add eight classrooms, a new gymnasium and four bathrooms to the middle school/high school. Also, the district would renovate the elementary school and add two classrooms.
Conzemius said cost estimates for that work would be as high as $11 million.
However, the cost to the district could be substantially less than if a new gymnasium wasn't added at the middle school/high school, and if new classrooms weren't added onto the elementary school.
Still, the board doesn't want to make the decision about adding onto the schools without hearing from the public, Conzemius said, adding that the push for building enhancements is driven by space needs.
New Glarus has a student population of about 900, and a study done by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in August determined the district's enrollment will continue to increase over the next 10 years.
There are also maintenance issues that need to be addressed in the buildings. The elementary school needs roof repairs, new and more energy efficient windows, and also has lingering moisture problems, he added.