Bangor referendum closing in on vote date

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The Bangor School District has a possible referendum coming up on November 8th of this year, totaling 24 million dollars. The process has been quite methodical, making sure that every single angle has been looked at and all scenarios have been exhausted. A professional company was brought in to do the assessments of the schools and to ensure that there  was an absolute clarity about the exact amount of the funds needed for the school district. A transparent illumination has been present as all collaborators look to allow a bright future for all students.

In January of this year, a company called Nexus Solutions came in after being chosen from a group of six firms who applied to assess the district’s needs. Nexus is out of both Minneapolis and Madison, but the Bangor school district mainly dealt with the Madison contingent. They came in and did a full comprehensive facility assessment of the entire district. David Brokopp, Bangor School District Administrator, says that they have been working hand in hand with the Nexus Solutions group, having multiple levels of meetings and input and feedback sessions. The goal: to get to a near-perfect plan that really meets the needs of the district. All stakeholders have been involved at every step of the process.

There were several reasons stated for the timing of the planning. First, there are facility needs, which currently exceed what can be accomplished within the operational budget. Secondly, there is the debt carried over from the previous capital referendum involving the elementary school. Thirdly, there is pressure to stay competitive with surrounding schools by providing opportunities for all students. Brokopp stated that Bangor has had a steady increase in growth over the past ten years, which is not happening everywhere in the state of Wisconsin. Finally, there are school funding regulations that require schools to seek community support for additional spending.

Once the numbers were calculated and the plan had taken form, the school district wanted to get a sense of how the community felt about it all. That was when The Morris Leatherman Company took center stage. Leatherman polled 400 random district residents by phone, which gave them a firm grasp of how the community felt, within a 5 percent degree of error either way. The polling took place in mid-July. The results were overwhelmingly in favor of the referendum. The final report showed that residents felt great about the scope of the projects covered by the referendum as well as the tax amount that correlated with the projects, which was around ninety-six dollars per year for a house valued at 150k.

The report showed that nearly 80 percent of those polled were in favor of the items listed within the projects that the referendum would cover. Brokopp says that this is a positive and astonishing number. “The general sweeping ideas of the referendum address safety concerns and upgrades in the tech area and the fitness room, which is overflowing with students working out, being active, and staying healthy. The old gymnasium is well utilized by the community also”, Brokopp stated.

Items in the budget for the elementary school include classroom additions, kitchen renovations, special education suite remodel, new restroom groups, and a secure vestibule addition. Also, under the maintenance side for the elementary school are playground repairs, upgraded electrical and a new generator, heating and cooling upgrades, water piping replacement, doors, and additional fire protection.

For the middle school and high school there are several items included in the referendum. It will include a fitness addition, and tech ed auto additions, to include two auto lifts and a classroom remodel. Brokopp says that the fitness room is packed with students in multiple classes each day, making it impossible to hold all the students who want to use it safely. “In the tech shop there is only one auto lift and the district is forced to turn away students who are interested in that area. We just do not want to turn students away from something they have a strong interest in, especially those technical skills”, Brokopp says.

District Administrator Brokopp said that should the referendum make it on the November 8th  ballot and pass, which they are really hoping for, there will be a period of nine months to a years’ worth of designing and planning, where additional input will be sought from the community, students and staff on what the facility should look like. The referendum covers the approval of renovation, the square footage of that renovation, and the square footage of the new build. The current building and structural designs that are on paper are for the assessment, they are not the official designs to be implemented should the referendum make the ballot and get passed.

Pending the approval of the referendum, additional input from the community, staff, and students will help shape and form those renovations. “When we are deciding on the design, factored in, will be heavy safety and security measures, especially on doors for entry and exiting, which is of utmost importance to everyone here”, Brokopp stated. 

When talking about the referendum, Brokopp mentioned that should an emergency arise, such as a natural disaster, the schools serve as the hub of the community and will be utilized in any scenario that requires a gathering place and protection from harm. “We have things like generators within the referendum for the schools. We know that in an emergency we will be the hub, the reunification location, and that power and internet will be extremely important. All of this has gone into the planning for the responsibility that we take for the community. We are the heart of the community”, Brokopp stated.

On Wednesday, August 3rd the board will have another session to review where the numbers stand currently, and if the financial projections have changed at all. “We anticipate the resolution being on the table for the August 17th meeting, and that we will approve it” Brokopp stated. “We have a very thorough and thoughtful board, if the process takes a little bit longer then it takes a little bit longer. We are aware, however, that if the referendum is to be on the ballot in November, we must have it ready by the end of August”.  

District Administrator Brokopp invites all input from the district to visit the web site at www.bangor.k12.wi.us and add their input. He confirms that all suggestions will be looked at. “This is a full community effort, and we want everyone to be aware of the project’s scope and even part of the design.”

Bangor, Referendum, Bangor School District, Monroe County Herald, Benny Mailman

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