School referendum coming into focus

A possible spring referendum for the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District took a step forward at last week’s School Board meeting.

The board learned about the community survey process by Sue Peterson, a project manager with School Perceptions, a Slinger-based company that many school districts use to determine what projects taxpayers prioritize and how much they are willing to spend.

The board also received cost estimates from Bray Architects, which had done a districtwide facility study. Numbers range from $20.8 million to $22.3 million with improvements at each school.

The proposal calls for the district’s pool, which is at the end of its lifespan and leaking water, to be reconstructed for about $2 million. A new pool — not included in the cost estimates — would cost $10 million to $15 million.

Auditorium upgrades cost about $1.5 million. A new facility not included in the estimates would cost $10 million to $12 million.

Infrastructure and renovation improvements to the elementary school, including electrical and heating, ventilation and air conditioning work, is about $4.6 million.

Middle school improvements would be about $2.7 million and high school work would be about $4.7 million, which includes replacing a portion of the roof.

Districtwide technology upgrades would cost about $300,000.

Upgrades to athletic facilities include building a softball field on campus for nearly $300,000, a soccer field and installing turf in the football stadium for $1.2 million and resurfacing the track for $800,000.

The district plans to hold community focus groups in spring and conduct a community survey in fall.

The board would discuss survey results in late fall. It has to decide by January if it will hold a referendum in spring 2022 in January to make it onto the ballot.

The idea of holding a referendum originated in fall 2019 when Lisa Voisin of Baird informed the board that $3.48 million of debt would fall off the tax rolls on April 1, 2023.

That would create a significant tax rate decrease. A new loan of $15 million would keep the tax rate flat.

The last referendum the district held didn’t require a tax increase. That was in 2010 for $6 million, most of which went to remodel the middle school.

Clint Selle, senior advisor for Bray Architects, provided options on construction management firms. The board didn’t vote on which option to take.