NEW GLARUS - The New Glarus School Board is moving forward in planning a no-tax-impact referendum to deal with maintenance needs, safety and security, and space issues.
Throughout the past year, the School Board and Administration has been working on a long-term facilities plan. Issues like replacing roofs, updating the HVAC system, improvements to safety/security and creating additional space have risen to the top of the list of priorities.
Roofs and HVAC equipment are at the top of the list of facilities needs because they have met, or in some cases far exceeded, their life expectancy. The high school still uses the building's original roof and some of its original heating and cooling equipment and the elementary school's leaky gym roof and 1957 air handler are in need of replacement.
The second area needing improvement is safety and security. A safety audit and two facilities studies identified a significant safety risk in that the high school and elementary offices are not near the front entrances. The school board and administration agrees and has worked with Plunkett-Raysich Architects and Findorff Construction to develop with a plan to relocate the school offices near the front entrances.
The final priority area is to create additional classroom space at the middle/high school. The middle school is exceeding its capacity after 2015 saw a net increase of 43 middle school students, forcing the middle school to use some high school classrooms closest to the middle school. Three of the current middle school grades are over 75 students and one is approaching 90.
In an effort to get ahead of the space challenge, the district, with the assistance of Plunkett-Rasich and Findorff, has determined that thescience wing and an empty hallway in the high school could be reconfigured to be four classrooms, instead of two. Adding these two classrooms would help with thegrowing science program and put off a larger building project for several years. Additionally, it would allow the district to modernize the outdated science classrooms and better adhere to current safety standards.
Fortunately, the New Glarus School District has been fiscally responsible by paying off additional debt and keeping the tax mill rate steady. Those measures have put the district in a position where the needed projects can done for a total of $5.8 million, without increasing the tax rate.
Residents can learn more about the upcoming referendum by attending either of the two upcoming Community Conversations meetings in the high school auditorium on Dec. 14 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Jan. 11 from 6 to 7 p.m. Information is also available on the New Glarus School District website at www.ngsd.k12.wi.us.
Throughout the past year, the School Board and Administration has been working on a long-term facilities plan. Issues like replacing roofs, updating the HVAC system, improvements to safety/security and creating additional space have risen to the top of the list of priorities.
Roofs and HVAC equipment are at the top of the list of facilities needs because they have met, or in some cases far exceeded, their life expectancy. The high school still uses the building's original roof and some of its original heating and cooling equipment and the elementary school's leaky gym roof and 1957 air handler are in need of replacement.
The second area needing improvement is safety and security. A safety audit and two facilities studies identified a significant safety risk in that the high school and elementary offices are not near the front entrances. The school board and administration agrees and has worked with Plunkett-Raysich Architects and Findorff Construction to develop with a plan to relocate the school offices near the front entrances.
The final priority area is to create additional classroom space at the middle/high school. The middle school is exceeding its capacity after 2015 saw a net increase of 43 middle school students, forcing the middle school to use some high school classrooms closest to the middle school. Three of the current middle school grades are over 75 students and one is approaching 90.
In an effort to get ahead of the space challenge, the district, with the assistance of Plunkett-Rasich and Findorff, has determined that thescience wing and an empty hallway in the high school could be reconfigured to be four classrooms, instead of two. Adding these two classrooms would help with thegrowing science program and put off a larger building project for several years. Additionally, it would allow the district to modernize the outdated science classrooms and better adhere to current safety standards.
Fortunately, the New Glarus School District has been fiscally responsible by paying off additional debt and keeping the tax mill rate steady. Those measures have put the district in a position where the needed projects can done for a total of $5.8 million, without increasing the tax rate.
Residents can learn more about the upcoming referendum by attending either of the two upcoming Community Conversations meetings in the high school auditorium on Dec. 14 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Jan. 11 from 6 to 7 p.m. Information is also available on the New Glarus School District website at www.ngsd.k12.wi.us.