Referendum FAQs

Keeping students safe is a top priority in the Ashwaubenon School District.  Many of the proposed referendum projects directly impact safety in our schools.  The updates to our facilities will help ensure that all students and staff are safe when they enter our buildings.

Most of our buildings are over 50 years old.  There is a need for improvement to better serve students by repairing and/or replacing large items that will not fit in the operating budget.  The result of NOT updating these major building systems would be inefficiencies and ongoing costly repairs.

• Cormier School Safety Improvements 
• Pioneer School Safety Improvements
• High School Track Repair
• Asbestos Abatement in Schools
• Repair Pioneer Gymnasium Foundation
• Replace Gym Floors at Pioneer, Parkview and Old Gym at the High School
• Replace Gym Lighting with LED Fixtures in All Buildings
• Multi-Use Indoor Practice Facility at the High School
• Replace Windows and Doors at Parkview
• Air Conditioning at Pioneer, Valley View and the High School
• Added staff for Student Mental Wellness

1. Many of the proposed referendum projects focus on school safety.  The Ashwaubenon School District sets student and staff safety as a top priority.  These projects would help to ensure that our district facilities are safe for all.
2. Updating our major building systems allows for students to utilize these systems year round to further their learning, experiences and extra-curricular activities.
3. By updating school buildings with air conditioning, we are providing a more productive environment for students to learn in.  Warm weather days can have a negative impact on student learning, so by eliminating this issue, students are able to learn in a conducive environment.
4. Studies have shown that our students need more mental wellness support.  The operational referendum would add staff positions to help students with their social, emotional, behavioral and academic wellness.

Here are the possible referendum projects, including the estimated costs of each.

• Cormier School Safety Improvements ($2.75 million)
• Pioneer School Safety Improvements ($1.15 million)
• High School Track Repair ($680,000)
• Asbestos Abatement in Schools ($200,000)
• Repair Pioneer Gymnasium Foundation ($150,000)
• Replace Gym Floors at Pioneer, Parkview and Old Gym at the High School ($450,000)
• Replace Gym Lighting with LED Fixtures in All Buildings ($150,000)
• Multi-Use Indoor Practice Facility at the High School  ($6-8 million)
• Move District Office into Ashwaubenon High School ($600,000)
• Replace Windows and Doors at Parkview ($200,000)
• Air Conditioning at Pioneer, Valley View and the High School ($4.35 million)
• Operational Referendum - including additional student mental wellness staff ($730,000 per year for 5 years)

Below is how the referendum projects could potentially impact your taxes:

• Base Plan (includes improvements to school safety, adding air conditioning, and updating district facilities)
  • Total amount: $10.05 million
  • Estimated tax increase of $10 for each $100,000 of a home's value over the current level.
• Base Plan (including all projects above) PLUS Multi-Use Facility
  • Total amount: $20.85 million
  • Estimated tax increase of $70 for each $100,000 of a home's value over the current level.
• Operational Referendum (Improve Mental Health Supports and Operating Air Conditioning in all schools)
  • Total amount: $730,000 annually for 5 years
  • Estimated tax increase of $55 for each $100,000 of a home's value over the current level for each of the next 5 years.

Here is why:

• The existing referenda approved debt has been paid off.
• The length of the borrowing will change depending on the amount borrowed.
• State School Funding rule changes may impact future Mill Rates.

This is difficult to calculate because the debt levy and State aid of the previous bonds varied over time.  The cost in recent years was $0.60-$0.95 on the equalized mill rate.

Yes.  The state limits us to 2 referendum questions in a year.  We could ask a capital referendum question as well as an operational referendum question.

Funds must remain within the projects of that specific referendum question.  Funds cannot be transferred from one project to another outside of the referendum question that was asked.

Some projects could be completed during the summer following the referendum.  Any projects that would include bidding out would begin the summer of 2021.

No, this was not done when the football field was done. The problems with the track have significantly increased in recent years. We actually need to make some adjustments on the football field as well because of how the field follows the inside lane of the track.

Currently, we have a buzzer system in place. The office staff buzzes visitors into the building and can see these visitors through the glass windows.  Forcing visitors to funnel through the office upon entrance is best practice for the safety of our students.

No, we do not.  We are looking at doing this as a precautionary safety measure.  It is more cost effective to do all of this project at once.

There is approximately 140 feet of the foundation wall that needs repair.

We expect that it would take several years to get back the money in savings that it would cost to replace the LED fixtures.  Focus on Energy would also provide some return.

The majority of the cost for mental wellness supports will go towards staffing positions that will benefit students' mental health.  In addition, it is possible for money to be used for some programming and training as well.  We want to be flexible with how this money would be used in order to adjust based on student needs and what is working.

Many students will talk with a teacher, counselor or social worker at school.  Last year, we had 510 students receive at least one mental health consult from pupil services.  Our Youth Risk Assessment survey shows data that a large precentage of our student population deals with depression and/or anxiety.  These are areas where increased mental health supports could help our students.

We estimate the cost to be $730,000 per year for 5 years, for a total of $3,650,000. This question would again be asked in another 5 years.  

The mill rate cost increase would be $0.55 per $1,000 of property value (ex: $55 on a home valued at $100,000).

This cost includes both providing increased Mental Health Supports as well as running air conditioning at all schools in the district.

The ongoing costs would come out of the operating budget. This could be included in an operational referendum if the Board decides to ask an operational question.

Yes, it would include the entire building.

These buildings have up-to-date systems.  They are not end-of-life. We have maintained and improved these systems over the years.

The cost to operate the system would either come out the current operations budget or the School Board could choose to ask an operational referendum question that would provide additional revenue limit room to cover the cost to operate.

In the past 5 years, the District estimates that air conditioning would have been operated for 30-40 school days annually.

Parkview was built years later than these buildings, and at that time air conditioning was included in our building project.  Cormier had a major remodel, and it was a small enough building that we worked air conditioning it into our operating budget.

 If we were not able to pass a referendum to renew the amount then we would have to make other budget cuts from our operating budget to operate the air conditioning. 

Although we believe there is some validity in this statement, we do not have hard numbers to show these savings.