We are grateful for the community’s support of the November referendum question no. 2 in which improvements are being made to Parkside Elementary and Monroe Middle School. The district will spend just over $3.3 million on improving the energy efficiency, learning environment and restroom accessibility at these facilities.
A vast majority of the work is being performed at Parkside Elementary. The building was previously heated and ventilated by 28 residential furnaces located in various spots throughout the building. This antiquated system is being replaced by an integrated heating, ventilation and air conditioning system that will utilize digital controls to make the building more comfortable and energy efficient.
All fluorescent light fixtures at Parkside are being replaced by LED fixtures that use less energy and provide brighter and more consistent illumination. Fluorescent “flickering” will no longer be a factor. The district is also installing fire sprinklers in the building that were not part of the original construction.
Because the ceiling needs to be removed to allow for ductwork to be replaced, sprinklers to be installed, and new lights to be mounted, it makes sense to remove the ceiling tiles and much of the supporting grid from the original 1986 construction. This will leave Parkside with a brighter learning environment with better temperature regulation and less mechanical noise from building environmental control systems.
The work we are doing at Parkside also suggests this is the right time to replace the burnt-orange carpeting in the library, which was installed during the original building construction. We also will be purchasing some furnishings that will make the library a better site for student collaboration and utilization of Makerspace equipment the district invested in several years ago.
Both Monroe Middle School and Parkside Elementary will have extensive remodeling of several restrooms in the building. A large number of the bathrooms in these sites are not currently handicapped accessible and some of the fixtures and partitions are showing wear and tear over the 30-plus years they have been in use. This project will allow all bathrooms to be accessible to those with disabilities in both buildings and they will provide a cleaner and more student-friendly experience as fixtures and traffic patterns are replaced and altered.
The construction process began at Parkside over spring break as nearly half the classrooms in the building had their ceiling tiles removed. This was also done in the library and several hallways throughout the building. The scheduled completion of work at Parkside is the last week of August. Construction is not expected to impact the start of school next year in that building.
We expect the restroom remodeling at MMS can occur this summer and that contractors can work around the summer school schedule. Some restrooms will be finished for the start of the 2019-20 school year. However, there may still be some work yet to be completed once the school year begins.
As was mentioned previously, we are grateful for the support of the community in making these improvements possible. While you will not notice anything different when looking at Parkside Elementary and Monroe Middle School from the outside, we can assure you the learning environment will be more comfortable for the students, staff and community members inside the buildings.
Thank you for your support and GO CHEESEMAKERS!!
— Rick Waski is the district administrator for the School District of Monroe. He can be reached at 608-328-7109 or
rickwaski@monroe.k12.wi.us.
