What are the district’s facility needs?

While our facilities have been well maintained, there are a number of needs in our schools that go beyond what we can address through regular maintenance and repairs alone. These include the following:

1. Facility Systems & Deferred Maintenance

While our maintenance staff has made the most of the district’s maintenance funding, facility systems in several of our buildings have outlived their useful lives. This includes inefficient and outdated heating and cooling systems in some buildings. In other buildings, systems are obsolete and no longer supported by their manufacturer. These needs also include electrical systems that are not conducive to modern classroom use and lights that are both inefficient and no longer effective. Additionally, several of our buildings have inefficient single-pane windows, worn-out floor coverings, worn ceilings, and aging roofs and pavement that require replacement.

While the district does have a maintenance budget to cover some of these costs, under the Wisconsin school finance system, most districts are not able to set aside enough money to cover big-ticket items like those described above. This is the case in Wausau.

2. Safety & Security

While our facilities have served generations of district residents well, most of our buildings were constructed before newer school security standards were established. Our schools are safe. However, some of them require enhanced entrance security upgrades and modern emergency systems, such as updated fire alarms, mass notification systems, and video surveillance.

In addition, traffic into and out of our schools can become congested and should be addressed as pavement is being replaced.

3. Right-sizing Learning Spaces

Education has changed significantly since many of our school buildings were designed decades ago. While classrooms in our schools generally function well for traditional instruction, they are not aligned with the kinds of flexible environments found in colleges, universities, and workplaces today.

The April 2022 referendum includes funds to right-size classroom spaces and to add more classroom space at elementary schools where there’s growing enrollment and capacity issues.

Why now?

The Wausau School District has facility needs that must be addressed now. While the board has worked to address the district’s most urgent items, failure to adequately address these needs now will result in higher project costs in the future.

Will schools be merged or closed as a result of this plan?

No. This proposal does not include elementary or high school consolidation. While the board and district administrators considered district reorganization at the elementary and high school levels, it was clear from a majority of community members — including through a community survey — that consolidation should not move forward at this time.

Could schools be closed in the future? If so, why put money in schools that may be closed?

The issue of consolidation and district restructuring was on the table for consideration and is something that may take place down the road. It is important to note that this referendum seeks to address urgent safety and security needs at all our schools.

For most of our schools, safety and security comprises the largest use of the referendum dollars. However, only about 12% of the total amount of the referendum amount will go to the elementary schools, including those that could be closed through consolidation.

While some of our schools could be closed at some future date as the outcome of a longer community process, the board and administration feels we cannot ignore safety concerns at any of our schools, even temporarily.

If consolidation is a possibility, why is the board seeking to address facility needs now?

The simple fact is that our schools require our attention now. Even if the district is reorganized at some point, the district’s facility needs will need to be addressed, and it will only get more expensive to do so in the future. Considering this, the board felt that it should, in an effort to be financially responsible, address these needs now rather than later.

Has the community been involved in this process?

Yes. We have worked to engage our community members into our district’s facility needs in a variety of ways. Our goal has been to leave no stone unturned when it comes to getting the input and feedback of our district residents. These efforts have included:

• Online surveys for community and staff
• Multiple community engagement sessions
• Staff listening sessions at all schools
• Facility needs webpage with instant feedback form
• Social media engagement
• Involvement of media

Over the course of the last several years, the Board of Education has worked extremely hard to engage community members in the needs of the district, the process used to evaluate these needs, and the solution that will be on the ballot April 5, 2022.

Will district residents get to vote on this?

Yes. At its January 17, 2022, meeting, the Wausau School District Board of Education approved a referendum question that will appear on the ballot Tuesday, April 5, 2022.

How would the referendum affect property taxes?

An approved referendum would have an estimated property tax impact of negative $0.43 on every $1,000 of property value in the school district. The owner of a home valued at $200,000 would see an annual tax reduction of about $86.

When is election day?

Residents will vote on the referendum question on the spring election date of Tuesday, April 5, 2022.

Where can I vote?

District residents may vote at their regular polling location on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. You can find voting and registration information at myvote.wi.gov.

Can I vote early?

Registered voters in Wisconsin may vote early by mail by requesting an absentee ballot. You can make your request by visiting myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Vote-Absentee-By-Mail.

Residents may also vote in-person before election day. For more information on this option, please visit myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Vote-Absentee-In-Person.

What is the exact question that will appear on the ballot?

Voters will see the following question on their ballots on Tuesday, April 5:

BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of the Wausau School District, Marathon County, Wisconsin that there shall be issued pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $119,800,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school building and facility improvement project consisting of: district-wide safety and security, school updates, building infrastructure, capital maintenance and site improvements; remodeling at all middle and high schools; construction of additions at Horace Mann and John Muir Middle Schools, West and East High Schools and Grant, Riverview, South Mountain and Stettin Elementary Schools; construction of a new School Forest Environmental Learning Center; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment.

What is deferred maintenance?

Deferred maintenance are repairs or replacement of buildings and equipment that have been postponed to save costs, meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. Declines in school funding have led to delays in preventive maintenance expenses to maintain programs and services for our students.

Why does the district need to go to referendum to pay for improvements? Why didn't the board set aside money every year like homeowners do for large maintenance items such as roofs and furnaces?

Our district has needs that must be addressed now. Like most districts in Wisconsin, our current maintenance budget cannot accommodate costly infrastructure items like boilers, HVAC, lights, roofs, building exteriors, and pavement. The district has extended life expectancies for many of its building systems, but they are due for repairs. Addressing them now prevents unexpected, costly repairs due to continued deterioration.

School funding is limited by a state-imposed revenue limit, and it is common for Wisconsin schools to go to referendum to address large improvement projects. The Wausau School District’s facility referendum reflects three priorities: increasing safety in our schools; addressing infrastructure needs like boilers, lighting, and HVAC; and making targeted updates to learning spaces across the district.

Why is the district increasing learning spaces when enrollments are decreasing?

Our facilities project will provide additional learning spaces—in a targeted way—in the schools that need them most.

I see that safety and security items are on the list. Are our schools safe?

Yes, our schools are safe. We are simply enhancing safety by implementing new and emerging best practices, which include updating school entrances and site traffic (ADA updates).

What happens if the referendum is not approved?

Our facility needs will not go away and projects would be deferred even further. Costs of waiting will increase significantly and we run the risk of unexpected emergency repairs that cost more in the future.

Schools like Riverview, Stettin, and South Mountain, which are currently experiencing growth, would require the district to cap or reduce open enrollment. This could lead to an adjustment of boundaries to alleviate overcrowding.

Additionally, students and staff would continue to struggle with social and emotional needs that affect the school climate and student learning.