FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The operating referendum passed in 2024 provided essential funding to maintain day-to-day school operations, including staff salaries, routine maintenance, utilities, and student programs. This was necessary to avoid significant budget cuts, similar to what other districts, including the School District of Mauston, are facing.

This capital referendum is different—it focuses on facility improvements that will help reduce long-term operating costs. Over the past 10 years, district enrollment has declined by more than 20%, making it necessary to right-size school buildings to match student enrollment numbers. Without these changes, the district will continue to spend money maintaining and operating an aging, underutilized middle school, adding unnecessary costs to the budget each year.

By consolidating space and closing an inefficient building, this plan helps control operational expenses, which may help reduce the tax impact of future operating referendum needs.

The plan was developed through a community-driven process, including input from a volunteer community task force, district leadership, outside financial and facility advisors, and a community-wide survey.

• The community task force of parents, staff, and residents studied facility needs over seven meetings and made a recommendation to the school board focused on reducing long-term operating costs.

• The district has seen a 20%+ enrollment decline over the past 10 years, leaving the middle school underutilized (51% capacity) and the high school underutilized (40% capacity), while the elementary school is experiencing space limitations (108% capacity).

• The middle school is over 100 years old, in poor shape, and costly to maintain, while the high school has available space and is in good condition.

• The task force recommended closing the middle school, moving grades 5-8 to the high school campus, build an addition of new classrooms for the younger students, and optionally moving 4th grade to help relieve elementary space limitations.

This approach makes use of available space, avoids costly maintenance upgrades, and is intended to provide a more cost-effective, budget-sustainable solution for the district’s future.

Benefits from Referendum Question #1

• A cohesive learning environment at the high school provides students with access to more specialized resources, academic programs, and facilities than they would have at the middle school. Having grades 5-12 in one building fosters greater collaboration among staff and students, allowing for:

  • • More opportunities for accelerated coursework and access to advanced subjects.

    • Mentorship and leadership opportunities, where younger students benefit from older student positive role models.

    • Stronger teacher collaboration, leading to a more seamless academic transition between grade levels.

• Reducing operational costs allows more funding to be directed toward classroom instruction, student programs, and educational resources.

Benefits from Referendum Question #2
All of the above, plus:

• Students will learn in modern, appropriately sized classrooms, rather than crowded or makeshift spaces.

• Younger students will no longer have to work with school professionals in closets, hallways, or converted storage areas.

The district will continue to spend approximately $9 million over the next 10 years to keep the middle school operational, covering maintenance and basic upkeep but not major changes or improvements. The elementary school space limitations will remain, requiring the continued use of closets, hallways, and storage areas for learning spaces.

Without facility adjustments, operational costs will remain the same or increase over time requiring future adjustments to the budget that would need to be addressed through available funding sources. This may include operational referendums, budget reductions, or reallocations that could affect staffing, programs, and class sizes. 

If Referendum Question #1 is approved, the estimated tax increase for a $100,000 home would be approximately $4.25 per month. 

If both questions are approved, the estimated tax increase for a $100,000 home would be approximately $5.83 per month. 

The work in Referendum Question #2 can ONLY be completed if Referendum Question #1 also passes.

Visit the Tax Impact page to calculate the impact on your property. 

While the primary purpose of Question #1 is to reduce expenditures and to more efficiently use our existing resources, there are several positions that would be considered a duplicate of resources and therefore no longer needed. However, we do not have any specific positions being targeted for layoffs at this time.

If Question #1 is approved, the goal is to use attrition of staff until the new addition is completed.  While at this time staff need not prepare for the worst, it is imperative for our district to reduce expenditures and Question #1 helps accomplish this goal.

The middle school is over 100 years old and would require extensive renovations to meet modern building and educational standards. Keeping it open would cost $9 million over the next 10 years just for essential maintenance and repairs, not including any major improvements to the learning environment.

Additionally, the building is operating at only 51% capacity, meaning the district is maintaining more space than is needed based on current and projected enrollment, including paying to heat, light, and maintain space that isn’t being fully used. Moving grades 5-8 to a modern, right-sized facility allows the district to reduce costs while making better use of available space.

The elementary school is at 108% of its optimal capacity, meaning space is already stretched beyond what we believe is best for students, including the use of non-traditional spaces for instruction and student support like hallways and former storage spaces.

Expanding the elementary school would require building-wide upgrades to meet current safety and building codes, including fire suppression (sprinkler) systems and cafeteria expansion. These upgrades would be more costly than adding classrooms to the planned 5th-6th grade expansion area at the high school.

Locating 4th grade in the new addition provides a cost-effective solution to address space needs while maintaining a dedicated, age-appropriate learning environment.

A brand-new middle school would be significantly more expensive than the proposed plan. With declining enrollment, the district has available space in existing buildings, making it possible to consolidate facilities instead of constructing a separate school.

Repurposing the existing high school provides a cost-effective solution that addresses both student learning needs and long-term financial sustainability while reducing unnecessary facility costs.

The new addition at the high school will provide updated, flexible learning spaces designed to support modern educational needs. Students in grades 4–8 will have:

• Access to shared resources, such as specialized classrooms, technology, and educational programs not available in smaller stand-alone buildings.

• Improved health, safety, and accessibility, with updated facilities that meet current ADA and building standards.

• A smoother academic transition between grade levels, with opportunities for greater collaboration among teachers and a more cohesive learning environment.

• Learning spaces designed to foster collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.

At this time, the plan is to continue to use the current outdoor athletic complex located on the Middle School campus.  For other activities such as wrestling, dance etc., there are multi-purpose activity and gym spaces in the proposed new addition at the high school.

There is no plan to use the softball diamond for parking or vehicle flow/circulation.  As a placeholder for geographical purposes, we are showing a new playground located there, but the playground can be located anywhere on site and would be discussed and finalized during the design phase if Question #1 is approved.

If the referendum passes, the middle school will be closed, and the district will explore options for repurposing or selling the building. In several other Wisconsin communities, older school buildings like ours have been successfully converted for commercial or housing uses, while maintaining the original look and feel of the building.

Some developers have expressed preliminary interest in repurposing the building, but no commitments can be made until it is officially available. Any proceeds from a potential sale would be reinvested into educational improvements for the district in accordance with state and local regulations.

This plan would provide modern, energy-efficient learning environments designed to support current educational standards while addressing safety and accessibility needs. Updated spaces can improve indoor air quality, lighting, and overall building efficiency, contributing to a healthier learning environment for students and staff.

Additionally, consolidating facilities helps reduce operational costs, lower maintenance demands, and extend the lifespan of district buildings, so they remain functional and adaptable for future needs.

This plan is part of a strategic effort to create a more efficient and financially sustainable school district. By modernizing facilities and consolidating campuses, the district aims to reduce long-term operational costs, improve learning environments, and maximize the use of available resources and space.

A more efficient school system may also help limit future reliance on operating referendum funding by reducing overhead costs, although future funding needs will depend on state formulas and local financial conditions.

These efforts align with the district’s mission—"Preparing Students to Perform for Life"—by ensuring that students learn in safe, functional, and well-maintained facilities that support educational success.

In order to minimize costs, the school district chose a Professional Service Agreement with SitelogIQ which allows the school district and board to make all design, purchasing, and contracting decisions—not SitelogIQ.

SitelogIQ provides design, engineering, architecture, bidding documents, and project management. Their fee is a percentage of the total project to cover these services and most soft costs. This is typically less expensive than contracting these services separately.

School staff will be involved in the design process to ensure learning spaces meet student and program needs, and the school board has final authority over all project costs and spending.

Funds from the referendum will be spent responsibly and transparently. 

By law, they can only be used for the specific projects listed on the ballot—nothing else. The school board, not the project firm, oversees all spending, contracts, and purchases, ensuring local control. Any cost savings remain with the district, and no funds can be used for salaries, benefits, or daily operations.

A competitive bidding process ensures efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and regular public updates will maintain accountability. Most importantly, the plan was shaped by community input, including a task force and district-wide survey, to reflect local priorities.