Kaukauna voters will be asked to raise their property taxes to increase funding for Kaukana Area School District.
If voters approve the $198 million referendum, the district said it would build a new middle school, add 4K and 5K to Victor Haen Elementary School, renovate the Park Community Charter School office and library, and address security and maintenance needs at other district schools.
Here’s what to know:
For information about registering to vote and polling locations, visit myvote.wi.gov/en-us.
How much would my taxes increase if the Kaukauna referendum passed?
The district says the referendum would raise the mill rate by $0.73, or $73 in taxes per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value, for about 23 years. For example, a home at a fair market value of $250,000 would pay an additional $182.50 in annual property taxes.
During the 2023-2024 school year, the district had a mill rate of $6.13, lower than the state average of $7.18.
What schools would primarily benefit from the Kaukauna referendum?
All seven district schools would receive maintenance and security improvements totaling $8.7 million.
Park Community Charter School’s front office and library would be renovated, a project costing about $2.3 million.
Victor Haen Elementary School would add classrooms for 4K and 5K at a cost about $17.8 million. The district said adding these grades to Victor Haen would simplify and reduce transitions between schools for families on the district’s north side, as well as reduce open enrollment from KASD.
But the largest project the referendum would fund is a $169.2 million replacement for River View Middle School.
Why does Kaukauna Area School District want to build a new middle school?
River View Middle School is located in a former high school building more than a hundred years old. The new building would be located on 144 acres of district-owned land near State 55 and Outagamie County Road CE.
The last time the district went to referendum in 2019 was to ask for money to renovate River View Middle School. The community rejected it, KASD superintendent Mike Slowinski, because many members of the community felt the school no longer served the needs of its students.
One prime example of this is at lunchtime, said River View principal Luke Cromell. The cafeteria’s smaller size means forcing some students to eat lunch as early as 10:50 a.m. or as late as 1:20 p.m. Even then, the cafeteria still isn’t big enough, with some students eating lunch in a nearby common area that causes noise to carry to nearby classrooms.
“The space is defining our opportunities and schedule,” said Cromell, “rather than the other way around.”
The school’s classrooms also can’t accommodate larger groups participating in programs like choir or shop class, Cromell said. That affects student learning when choir sections can’t sing together and shop students are forced to stand in long lines to use equipment.
The River View site is landlocked by the river and city streets. A site evaluation found River View is about half the recommended size for its current student body of about 1,200, Slowinski said, so further renovations would not support current best practices for modern student learning.
What is Kaukauna Area School District’s case for the referendum money?
KASD initially considered a $220 million referendum request. Community survey results from last spring led the district to reduce the size of the planned middle school building and remove plans for a child care center and new gym at Tanner Elementary.
The referendum is the final step in a long-range facilities plan that began with a community summit in spring 2023.
“Public school districts, in general, don’t have the ability to save or budget annually for this kind of construction project and fundraising would not come close” to the estimated facilities cost, Slowinski said, so going to referendum is “essentially the only avenue for making these generational projects possible.”
He said Kaukauna Area School District has only gone to the community for referendum requests three times in the past 30 years. He said approving funding for all the components of the proposed projects at one time is the best way to maximize the project budget and help manage the district’s tax rate for debt, too.
More: If it seems Wisconsin school districts are asking voters for money more often, it’s because they are
How has the community reacted to the Kaukauna referendum?
The district sought feedback on the plan by inviting the public to a town hall and surveying community members this spring.
At a community information session, a KASD parent wearing an orange “Vote Yes” pin named Kristin McEneany, said “kids deserve to have a middle school building that reflects how teachers teach today,” including project-based learning. She said she wanted to see safety improvements at all schools.
Other residents have brought up concerns about the potential traffic impact around the new middle school site; it’s near Kaukauna High School, located at 1701 Outagamie County CE. If the referendum passes, district has proposed staggering start times for the middle and high school.
Another KASD parent who supports the referendum, Eric Bestul, acknowledged some negative side effects could come from the traffic shift and from the increase in taxes.
Still, he said, “I’m okay being inconvenienced twice a day for the greater good of the community.”
What happens afterwards if the referendum passes?
The district anticipates opening the new Victor Haen Elementary School classrooms by fall 2026 and the new middle school by the summer of 2028.
What happens if the referendum fails?
Imediate maintenance needs at River View would likely come out of the district’s regular budget. But Slowinski said facility needs would not go away and costs will naturally increase.
Replacing the middle school would cost an estimated $45 million more if the referendum was held in 2028.
What does the Kaukauna referendum ballot question ask exactly?
“BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Education of the Kaukauna Area School District, Outagamie County, Brown County, and Calumet County, Wisconsin shall be issued pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $198,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school facility improvement project consisting of: the construction of a replacement middle school on district-owned land and repurposing the current middle school site; Americans with Disabilities Act compliance updates, capital maintenance, building systems, safety, security, and other site improvements at Park Community Charter School, H.B. Tanner Early Learning Center, Electa Quinney Elementary/New Directions Learning Community, and Kaukauna High School; construction of additions and renovations at Victor Haen Elementary School; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures, and equipment. Shall the foregoing resolution of the Board of Education of the Kaukauna Area School District be approved?”
Where can I learn more about the Kaukauna referendum?
The district provides updates through their website at kaukauna.k12.wi.us. You can also contact the school at 920-759-6109 or email [email protected].
Slowinski also plans to continue holding tours of River View Middle School and referendum information sessions through October.
Rebecca Loroff is a K-12 education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at 920-907-7801 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Election Day: Kaukauna schools go to referendum for $198 million
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