NEW GLARUS - A new school referendum authorizing the district to borrow $7.35 million to expand and upgrade school facilities passed easily Tuesday in New Glarus school district, with 77 percent of the supporting votes coming from the Village of New Glarus and the Town of New Glarus.
Unofficial voting results shows 699 voted for the referendum, with 330 against.
Voter support averaged 68 percent of the 1,029 total votes cast, and was 65 percent or more in six of the nine voting precincts in the townships and the village that make up the school district
Voters rejected a similar referendum in April, which sought to authorize the district to borrow up to $10 million to pay for an addition to its existing high school/middle school complex for grades 6 to 8. That question failed with 1,022 votes against - compared to 888 in support.
On Tuesday, the Village of New Glarus voted 72 percent in favor of the new referendum. Voters there cast 45 percent of the total ballots cast throughout the district, giving 331, or 47 percent of the total supporting votes to pass the referendum.
The Town of New Glarus cast 321 votes, or 31 percent of the total votes, and voted 210 in favor, making up 30 percent of the support.
Voters in the Town of York, cast 84 votes, or just 8 percent of the total, and 8.5 percent of the support.
Primrose and Exeter townships each cast about 6.5 percent of the total votes. Exeter's 44 votes made up about 6 percent of the support and Primrose's 37 votes added 5 percent.
Adams, Montrose, Perry and Washington townships each had 10 or fewer votes cast. The referendum failed by one vote in both Adams and Washington townships, located south of New Glarus.
Primrose, Perry and Montrose are in Dane County, while the remaining voting precincts are in Green County.
Following the failed referendum in April, a public survey was conducted, while a parent survey and a full staff survey were conducted in August, to see what voters wanted.
"The public said, 'don't raise taxes and no new gym,'" said David Strudthoff, district administrator.
The new plan, called Project PRIDE for Patrons Reinvesting in Developing Excellence, was built on ideas from the three surveys.
As a primary objective of the board, Project PRIDE will not increase current taxes, said Strudthoff. Covering the cost of $7.35 million in general obligation bonds will ride on continuing the existing debt, which will be retired in 2014. Other financial arrangements, such as a short-term loan or the fund balance, will serve to bridge the debt service for the intervening two years.
In exchange for its money, the school district is set to create a middle school for fifth- through eighth-graders by building an addition to the north side of the high school, remodeling some classrooms and adding a multipurpose room.
Moving fifth- and sixth-graders to the high school will facilitate providing them some added educational opportunities in vocational and foreign language courses, according to Strudthoff.
The district will also remodel about 19 classrooms and, to get some savings from energy efficiency, replace windows in the separate elementary school building.
To eliminate the need for another gymnasium, the school plans to build a multipurpose room. The multi-purpose room is designed to meet the changing needs of the school, and accommodate community needs as well.
The district population hit more than 900 students for the first time in history this year. The revised plan is designed to handle about 80 to 90 students per grade level.
A New Glarus referendum in 2007 seeking $20 million for building renovation and construction also failed.
Unofficial voting results shows 699 voted for the referendum, with 330 against.
Voter support averaged 68 percent of the 1,029 total votes cast, and was 65 percent or more in six of the nine voting precincts in the townships and the village that make up the school district
Voters rejected a similar referendum in April, which sought to authorize the district to borrow up to $10 million to pay for an addition to its existing high school/middle school complex for grades 6 to 8. That question failed with 1,022 votes against - compared to 888 in support.
On Tuesday, the Village of New Glarus voted 72 percent in favor of the new referendum. Voters there cast 45 percent of the total ballots cast throughout the district, giving 331, or 47 percent of the total supporting votes to pass the referendum.
The Town of New Glarus cast 321 votes, or 31 percent of the total votes, and voted 210 in favor, making up 30 percent of the support.
Voters in the Town of York, cast 84 votes, or just 8 percent of the total, and 8.5 percent of the support.
Primrose and Exeter townships each cast about 6.5 percent of the total votes. Exeter's 44 votes made up about 6 percent of the support and Primrose's 37 votes added 5 percent.
Adams, Montrose, Perry and Washington townships each had 10 or fewer votes cast. The referendum failed by one vote in both Adams and Washington townships, located south of New Glarus.
Primrose, Perry and Montrose are in Dane County, while the remaining voting precincts are in Green County.
Following the failed referendum in April, a public survey was conducted, while a parent survey and a full staff survey were conducted in August, to see what voters wanted.
"The public said, 'don't raise taxes and no new gym,'" said David Strudthoff, district administrator.
The new plan, called Project PRIDE for Patrons Reinvesting in Developing Excellence, was built on ideas from the three surveys.
As a primary objective of the board, Project PRIDE will not increase current taxes, said Strudthoff. Covering the cost of $7.35 million in general obligation bonds will ride on continuing the existing debt, which will be retired in 2014. Other financial arrangements, such as a short-term loan or the fund balance, will serve to bridge the debt service for the intervening two years.
In exchange for its money, the school district is set to create a middle school for fifth- through eighth-graders by building an addition to the north side of the high school, remodeling some classrooms and adding a multipurpose room.
Moving fifth- and sixth-graders to the high school will facilitate providing them some added educational opportunities in vocational and foreign language courses, according to Strudthoff.
The district will also remodel about 19 classrooms and, to get some savings from energy efficiency, replace windows in the separate elementary school building.
To eliminate the need for another gymnasium, the school plans to build a multipurpose room. The multi-purpose room is designed to meet the changing needs of the school, and accommodate community needs as well.
The district population hit more than 900 students for the first time in history this year. The revised plan is designed to handle about 80 to 90 students per grade level.
A New Glarus referendum in 2007 seeking $20 million for building renovation and construction also failed.