Addressing Our District’s Facility Needs By Focusing On Right-Sizing and Modernizing our Schools In Support Of Financial Stability
As a result of much hard work and planning, our district is on a solid financial footing. Over the years, our West Allis-West Milwaukee School District has overcome significant fiscal challenges that threatened the long-term viability of our district. Our improved finances has created an opportunity where our district can focus on its other significant challenge, its facilities.
Our school district faces three facility-related challenges.
The average age of schools in our district is over 76 years old, and some date back to 1921. While these schools have been exceptionally well maintained and have served our students well, some of the buildings have outlived their useful life. They are challenging and expensive to maintain.
An independent analysis found that many of our district's 23 buildings urgently need either repair or potential replacement due to infrastructure and building systems needs stemming from their advanced age.
In addition to having old facilities, our district operates too many schools for its current and projected enrollment.
The fact is that our district's enrollment has dropped significantly and has recently stabilized over the years. In 1975, more than 12,000 students attended three district high schools, four intermediate schools and 16 elementary schools. Today, our district serves about 7,400 students at two high schools, one project-based learning high school, three intermediate schools and 11 elementary schools. We need to right-size our facilities.
Finally, because of the age of our school buildings and because they were designed to support how teaching and learning took place in the past, many of our current facilities do not support a modern curriculum and how learning now takes place. This is especially true for our career and technical education spaces.
MATC is committed to partnering with us to fund and equip the new CTE spaces and share the shops. We want to expand opportunities for our high school students to receive college credits and for MATC students to learn in modern and upgrade facilities.
Drop by a Q&A Information Session on Zoom:
March 29, 12:00 - 12:30 CLICK HERE for the link to join
March 31, 12:00 - 12:30 CLICK HERE for the link to join
We Listened to the Community
Over the last year, the school board and district have engaged the community on possible solutions to address our schools' most significant facility needs.
Last year, our West Allis-West Milwaukee School District's Facilities Advisory Committee Team (FACT) began a six-month-long process to evaluate all district schools’ current condition and find consensus on a set of solutions that were presented to the school board. Agendas and minutes from the FACT meetings can be found here. With over 40 members, FACT included teachers, school and community leaders, and local residents .
In addition, this September, our district conducted a community survey in which all members of our school district community were asked to consider our district's needs and weigh in with their thoughts about possible solutions. More than 4,000 people participated in the survey, the results of which can be found here.
Based on the work of community members from across our district and feedback from the community survey, at its regular board meeting on December 20, our school board approved a referendum question that will appear on the April 5 ballot.
A Thoughtful Solution That Creates More Efficient Facilities While Providing Our Students With What They Need
The referendum question that will be forwarded to voters on April 5, 2022 is a thoughtful solution, built with the input of thousands of district residents to address our district's facility needs.
If approved by voters on April 5, the referendum will…
Close both high schools and reuse the Nathan Hale High School building to create a new, merged comprehensive and modern high school.
Merged high school: If passed, students in our district would all attend one comprehensive high school, creating the opportunity for cost savings for taxpayers and a better high school experience for students.
A new modern school from repurposed space: By closing both high schools and repurposing and remodeling the current Nathan Hale building, our district will provide students with the modern high school that our students deserve at less cost than building new.
Expanding School to Work Programming: The new high school will have expanded career and technical education ("shop") spaces that build on our district community's rich manufacturing history while creating new school-to-work pathways for our students.
Creating more efficiencies by reducing positions and having less square footage to manage.
100,000 square footage less to heat, cool and clean.
Consolidating the two (2) Comprehensive high schools would result in the following efficiencies: reduction in positions such as principal, assistant principal, secretaries, custodial and others, reduction in utility costs (electricity, eater, gas, telephone), reduction in waste removal costs, reduction in annual facility maintenance costs at the consolidated site. Total annual savings with consolidation is between $2.5 million and $3 million dollars.
If Passed, The Projected Tax Rate Would Still Be Less Than What It Was In 2020.
In creating the solution placed on the April ballot, our board evaluated community survey data and information from a community committee. Subsequently, our board created a facilities solution that addresses our district's most urgent needs in a thoughtful, responsible and fiscally conservative way.
The original project plan was a $180 million referendum. After community feedback, our board reduced the project's scope, and our district earmarked $10 million to support the project.
The borrowing amount of the referendum would not exceed $149,800,000 and create a debt service tax levy increase of roughly $119 for every $100,000 of property value.
If the referendum was approved by the voters, community members will be able to take advantage of historically low-interest rates and because of good financial planning, the projected tax rate would still be less than what it was in 2020.
What happens if this referendum does not pass?
If the high school referendum does not pass we will still need to address the infrastructure updates in our two current aging high school buildings (Hale $25.2 million and Central $36.7 million. To do this within existing budgets will mean cutting programs and increasing class sizes. We will also continue to operate two inefficient high school buildings with reduced offerings.
Our board approved a Long Range Facility Master Plan that includes a plan for consolidation and renovation of all schools.
If the high school referendum does not pass, our board will consider other parts of the long range plan and will likely come back to voters with a different and smaller referendum question to begin the process to right size and modernize our schools. What we know for sure is that the district’s facility challenges will not go away on their own and that the state funding formula for schools never expected school districts to fund major renovations within operational budgets.
Regardless of the outcome of this referendum question, our board will consider recommendations to consolidate some elementary and possibly intermediate schools that can be accomplished without the need for a referendum.
While our schools are very well maintained, they are very old. The average age of our schools is over 76 years old, and some of our schools date back to 1921. As a result, some of our schools’ building systems (safety, ventilation, electrical,and plumbing) have outlived their useful life and are extremely difficult and expensive to maintain.
An independent analysis found that many of our district’s 23 buildings urgently need either repair or potential replacement due to infrastructure and building systems needs stemming from their advanced age.
At the same time, the amount of square footage our district operates is now too large. The fact is that our district’s enrollment has dropped significantly and has recently stabilized over the years. As a result, we need to right-size our facilities.
Finally, because our schools were designed to support how teaching and learning took place in the past, many of our current facilities do not support a modern curriculum and how learning now takes place. This is especially true for our career and technical education spaces
MATC is committed to partnering with us to fund and equip the new CTE spaces and share the shops. We want to expand opportunities for our high school students to receive college credits and for MATC students to learn in modern and upgrade facilities.
What are the proposed solutions to our district’s facility needs?
If passed by voters in April, students in our district would all attend one high school, creating the opportunity for cost savings for taxpayers of $2.5 to $3 million per year and a better high school experience for students.
By closing both existing high schools and repurposing and remodeling the current Nathan Hale building, our district will provide students with the modern high school that our students deserve at less cost than building new. The remodeled high school will have a new name.
In addition, the new high school will provide our students with modern learning spaces, and our district will be able to expand critical programs, including school-to-work pathways through expanded career and technical education ("shop") areas.
Will schools be merged or closed due to this plan?
Yes. If passed, students in our district would all attend one comprehensive high school, creating the opportunity for cost savings for taxpayers and a better high school experience for students in a like-new facility.
Later in the spring of 2022 our board will also consider recommendations to consolidate some elementary and possibly intermediate schools that can be accomplished without the need for a referendum.
What will this transition look like for my current student?
Click here for questions/answers about the transition plan.
Will this new school result in children spending more time on buses?
No. If this referendum passes, the average time for students who ride buses will not change. No student will ride a bus longer than our current bus rides to and from school. The plan will also include the addition of two after school routes so students can participate in athletics and after school activities and then get dropped off at a school near where they live. The increase in transportation costs will be approximately $530,500 and the annual operating savings is estimated to be between $2.5 million and $3 million dollars.
What happens if this referendum does not pass?
If the high school referendum does not pass we will still need to address the infrastructure updates in our two current aging high school buildings (Hale $25.2 million and Central $36.7 million). To do this within existing budgets will mean cutting programs and increasing class sizes. We will also continue to operate two inefficient high school buildings with reduced offerings.
Has the community been involved in this process?
Yes, we have engaged our community members in our district's facility needs in various ways.
Last year, our West Allis-West Milwaukee School District's Facilities Advisory Committee Team (FACT) began a six-month-long process to evaluate all District buildings' current condition and find consensus on a set of solutions that were presented to our school board. Agendas and minutes from the FACT meetings can be found here.
In addition, this September, our district conducted a community survey in which all members of the school district community were asked to consider our district's needs and weigh in with their thoughts about possible solutions.
More than 4,000 people participated in the survey, the results of which can be found on our here.
Will district residents get to vote on this?
Yes. At its December 20 meeting, our West Allis-West Milwaukee School District Board of Education approved a referendum question that will appear on the ballot on Tuesday, April 5, 2022.
How would the referendum affect property taxes?
If approved, the borrowing amount of the referendum would not exceed $149,800,000 and create a debt service tax levy increase of roughly $119 for every $100,000 of property value.
If the referendum was approved by the voters, community members will be able to take advantage of historically low-interest rates and because of good financial planning, the projected tax rate would still be less than what it was in 2020.
When is election day?
Residents will vote on the referendum question on the spring election date of Tuesday, April 5, 2022.
Where can I vote?
District residents may vote at their regular polling location on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. You can find voting and registration information at https://myvote.wi.gov/.
What is the exact question that will appear on the ballot?
Voters will see the following question on their ballots on Tuesday, April 5:
"Shall the School District of West Allis-West Milwaukee, et al., Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $149,800,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school building and facility improvement project to create a single comprehensive high school at a current district high school site, consisting of: safety, security, building systems and infrastructure updates; construction of additions, renovations and improvements, including additions for classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, a gymnasium and an auditorium; site improvements; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?"
Years ago, our district faced significant financial challenges. Have these been resolved?
Yes. Over the years, our district has worked to overcome significant fiscal challenges that threatened the long-term viability of our district. The results of these efforts have led to significantly improved credit ratings and a consistent reduction in audit findings.
As a result of much hard work and planning, our district is on a solid financial footing. This has created an opportunity where our district can focus on its other significant challenge, its facilities.
A new "modern" high school sounds expensive. Do we need it?
The fact is that by reusing the existing Nathan Hale building, our district can save a great deal of taxpayer money. This repurposing of existing space allows our district to create a new school that rivals those of neighboring school districts in offering flexible and modern learning spaces but at a fraction of the cost.
Is there anything in writing about the commitment from MATC, should the referendum pass?
What is the estimated capacity of the proposed new high school?
The estimated capacity of the proposed new high school is 2,000 – 2,100 students with the ability to increase this if teachers shared classrooms/labs.
Why does our district want to reuse the Nathan Hale building?
In seeking to address our district's facilities needs in a way that provides taxpayers with the most value, the board has decided to use much of the existing Nathan Hale building for the new comprehensive high school.
The fact is that the structure of the Nathan Hale building is very sound, and it will be far less expensive to build a "like new" school using that facility. The planning process did consider using the Central High School building but there is not enough land and the project is far more expensive and then the athletic facilities would still be at the current Nathan Hale site. Using Central is just not a viable option in our communities where there is no other land available for a project of this size.
What would be the cost of renovating Central?
The estimated cost is $205,353,000.
We know that schools at all grade levels need to be addressed. However, by starting with the high schools, we can increase programmatic options for our students as soon as possible.
Often, there are classes, programs, or even athletics that cannot run because there are not enough students at one school. As such, we already have several co-ops between our two comprehensive high schools that run so that programs can continue that wouldn't otherwise. Bringing our 9-12th grades together in one building opens up additional opportunities for most students in our district in the first phase of these projects.
In addition, all students eventually go through high school, so by beginning here, all students will experience the benefits of this upgraded facility and programmatic experience. Working our way through the grade levels continues to provide our students throughout our district with upgraded and modernized facilities to impact their learning experiences positively.
This also provides us with the most significant cost savings as early as possible throughout the long-range facilities plan.
In terms of which high school to start with, the facilities at Hale are far newer than Central and there is simply not enough room at Central to make the consolidated school work.
So, will the new school essentially be Nathan Hale High School?
No. It is very important to note that if the referendum passes, our board will close Nathan Hale and Central, and the new school built using the Hale Building will be a new school. Not only will it look like a new building, but it will have a completely new identity.
If you do the math and divide the cost of the new school by the current number of students, the price is very high. Is that correct?
The new merged high school will serve our district community for many years if passed by voters. Considering the high cost of maintaining two schools, not to mention being able to offer students better facilities, the cost savings provided by the referendum are considerable over the long run.
The new plan will reduce square footage by over 100,000, will avoid $26.7 million in capital needs at Hale, and will address the $36.7 million in capital needs at Central.
Approximately 25,534 students will walk through the halls of the remodeled high school over 50 years. The investment in the upgraded high school for each of these students is less than $1,500 per student per year. In addition, that investment includes the use of the building for athletics, performing arts, and community events.
Does the cost of the proposed high school project take into account inflation?
Initial costs were adjusted and increased to account for the costs of the project when budgeted for in late 2021, and a 9% inflationary adjustment has been made on top of this as part of the projections for the proposed high school project.
The timing of this referendum comes after school closures due to COVID-19 and concerns about inflation. Why is this question on the ballot now?
Our district has worked very hard to address very significant financial challenges. Addressing these challenges now allows our district to address its longtime facility challenges. However, the fact is that our district's facility challenges will not go away on their own: the needs outlined in our district's facilities report and the inefficiencies of operating too much square footage for the current and future enrollment will only create waste in the future.
By addressing these facility challenges now, while interest rates are at historic lows, the school board can follow through on fiscal responsibility, have thoughtful long-term plans, and support the ongoing financial stability of our district.
It seems like there are a lot of new developments in our district. Won’t enrollments increase as a result?
No. Our district has conducted extensive demographic and enrollment projections. While our district community will experience new housing, the housing that is being developed and is planned for the future are one and two-bedroom housing that will not noticeably increase enrollments. There are fewer children being born and our plan adapts to this reality.
Many of the homes in our community are as old or older than the schools? Have the schools not been well maintained?
Our schools have been very well maintained. However, just like many of our homes, building systems like heating and ventilation and plumbing and electrical systems must be replaced. For a building the size of our schools, such system replacements are exceedingly expensive.
"Shall the School District of West Allis-West Milwaukee, et al., Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $149,800,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school building and facility improvement project to create a single comprehensive high school at a current district high school site, consisting of: safety, security, building systems and infrastructure updates; construction of additions, renovations and improvements, including additions for classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, a gymnasium and an auditorium; site improvements; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?"
