Oconto Falls School Board stands pat on middle school question

The Oconto Falls School Board is sticking with its original schedule for a referendum on whether to replace or renovate aging Washington Middle School.

The district is entering the fourth year of a five-year operational referendum; voters gave the district permission to exceed state-imposed revenue limits through the 2021-22 school year, and the school board expects to ask voters to renew that commitment next spring.

Consulting firm Nexus Solutions has been conducting an audit of district buildings, especially Washington Middle School, with an eye toward an extensive upgrade of the existing building or construction of a new middle school.

The plan has been to bring a new operational referendum to district voters in April 2021 and to present a plan for the future of the middle school and other district buildings in 2022.

Mike David, director of business development for Nexus, suggested the board consider bringing both referendum questions forward next spring.

“It allows you to address the construction faster,” David said. “Construction inflation over the last 50 years have averaged over 5% a year … You also have some interest-rate concerns to consider,” with borrowing rates at all-time lows.

Holding the two votes together would reduce the possibility of “referendum fatigue” that might be caused by presenting referendum questions two years in a row, David said.

He prefaced his remarks by saying the timing doesn’t matter to Nexus; the consultant just wants the board to know its options.

Superintendent Dean Hess recommended that the board stick with the original plan, in part because so many other challenges are in progress right now, especially the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There are a lot of things going on that are outside our control,” he said. “The operational referendum is the greater priority.”

Hess also said he’s concerned that the process would feel “rushed” with not enough time to fully inform taxpayers about the reasons for the questions.

The board agreed with Hess’ reasoning.

“I’m a little hesitant to lay a building referendum on the community when we’re in uncertain times here,” board President Ron Leja said. “Some people don’t know where their jobs are going … I agree that the operational plan needs to go first; if we don’t have that, the capital plan may need to be reduced.”

Board member Sharon Stodola-Eslien said it would be “insensitive” to move too fast in uncertain economic times.