School districts to ask for half a billion dollars in April 7

School districts across Wisconsin plan to ask voters for more than half a billion dollars in referendum questions this April for new buildings, security improvements, expansions and more.

The three biggest asks for voters to approve debt on April 7 make up more than half of the $509 million across 12 districts. Howard–Suamico, Whitefish Bay and Baraboo‘s requests amount to $356.6 million of that, according to an overview of data provided by The Wheeler Report.

Howard-Suamico School District, just northwest of Green Bay, wants voters to approve $147 million to pay for improvements at Bay Port High School, including career and technical education space expansion, classroom renovations, and improvements for safety, parking, traffic flow. The district also plans to pay for new additions, renovations, maintenance and improvements at four of its elementary and intermediate schools, as well as maintenance at Bay Harbor Elementary School and other building needs.

The district serves roughly 5,550 students.

Whitefish Bay School District, serving one of Milwaukee’s North Shore suburbs, is asking for $135.6 million to address aging infrastructure, accessibility, safety and security needs. The money would be split roughly in half, with one portion going toward its two elementary schools, the high school and preschool to pay for accessibility improvements, safety and security at entrances, and to replace aging HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems. The other half would help pay for construction of an entirely new middle school.

Whitefish Bay’s high school was originally built in 1932, just two years after the district officially opened its doors to high schoolers at the Richards Street School, which now serves elementary students. There are now roughly 2,900 students in the district.

Central Wisconsin’s Baraboo School District will put a $74 million referendum to voters, asking them to pay for an addition and renovations to the high school in order to expand the school’s agricultural department. The money would also pay to demolish the West Kindergarten Center, as well as renovations and maintenance at its four elementary schools.

School Board President Tim Heilman said the referendum “focuses on aging elementary facilities, safety, and learning spaces that better support students today while planning responsibly for the future.”

One of Baraboo’s elementary schools, North Freedom, was built in 1902, making it almost half as old as the United States. Across the entire district, there are roughly 2,600 students right now.