Menard speaks to school meeting attendees

We want this to be more of an open discussion, to see where we’re at.”

CESA 10 representative Tony Menard

Coming at or after mid-October, district residents can expect the referendum survey to arrive in the mail.

“We took into consideration the feedback from our previous Facilities Advisory Committee meeting,” board president Denise Hoffstatter said Monday from the high school library at a second Facilities Advisory Committee meeting to follow up the one this summer.

With mailings due to arrive at or after mid-October to district resident mailboxes, the Sept. 18 meeting with public welcome was held in the high school library to review options and fine tune survey details.

“We want this to be more of an open discussion, to see where we’re at,” CESA 10 representative Tony Menard told attendees to the Sept. 18, meeting. With district residents, the school board, district staff, architect firm LHB of Superior and CESA 10 all present, the different options were laid on the table.

Option 1 as it stands calls to build a new three-station gym and locker rooms for an estimated $15.8 million. Option 2 calls for Option 1 plus the relocation of the district officer and creation of one central cafeteria location to service all students, for an estimated total of $23 million. Option 3 calls for options 1 and 2 with the addition of and expanded fitness center and weight room, for an estimated $24.2 million. "The cost estimates are based on square footage for what the district is trying to create with each option," superintendent Koenig said.

A two-station gym and high school classroom were dropped from consideration under the present plan after the first Facilities Advisory Committee meeting this summer deemed these to not be priorities.

As to the central cafeteria (option 2), LHB representative Kevin Holm shared such a space as planned would be able to accommodate 348 students per session, thus feeding the entire student body over three lunch periods. The present middle school cafeteria in turn would be transitioned to gym use. As to relocating the district office (option 2) this would enhance building security, while expanding the fitness center (option 3) was seen to increase community convenience, without opening up the entire school to the outside.

As to the exact individual tax impact of the three options presented Monday this is still unknown, the survey likely waiting to be mailed until mid-October or later, when the budget will be set.

Affecting the potential and individual tax impact in turn are recent property revaluations, the high level of state aid that the district receives, and an increase in the current state budget of the aid received per pupil from $10,000 to $11,000 per student, the last raising the amount of funds the district has for its annual budget by approximately $1.1 million.

Adjusting for this the local levy this year is expected to go up this year, then down as each of the different changes take budget affect. Board member Chad Verbeten elaborated on the impact and waiting before setting tax impact numbers for survey purposes.

“We can only work with numbers we currently have,” he said as another community resident shared how taxes were based on the prior year’s numbers. With much now in flux, estimates Monday ranged everywhere from $72 per year for each $100,000 increase in property value for option 1 all the way to taxes going down.

As such, the school district is waiting to set this year’s budget before determining the exact individual tax impact for the survey. Once known and if approved, the referendum tax increase would stay on the tax rolls for a 20-year period. Expect firmer numbers on individual tax impact as the year progresses.

Meanwhile, and based on feedback from the prior FAC meeting this summer, a two-station gym was eliminated in favor of three stations, with a “high school classroom” also deemed low priority on the weighted voting scale.

Back in the present Monday night, needs raised by district residents included vocational training, two elementary classrooms, special education, and bathrooms.

As to special education, superintendent Koenig shared that the elementary remodel next summer to be paid with savings would include special education in plans, while the elementary classrooms are to be 900 square feet, meaning an increase in size. The possibility of

In the meantime and coming at or after mid-October, district residents can expect the referendum survey to arrive in the mail.

Folded in half with Stanley-Boyd Area School District in the return address portion, the multipage document addressed to “Postal Customer” will seek to assess the level of support in the district for a planned facilities referendum, and what facilities to include in upgrades. Open for three weeks once released, the responses will be reviewed, a recommendation being made by the Facilities Advisory Committee in late November on what to ask for in the referendum.