Formal Proposal Announcement
WAWM Recreation and Community Services Department to Lease and Remodel Lane Intermediate School
On Monday, September 19, 2022 our West Allis-West Milwaukee school board heard the first formal proposal from our Recreation and Community Services Department to lease and remodel Lane Intermediate School to expand recreation and athletic opportunities in our community.
You can hear more about this proposal at the Community Information Session on Tuesday, October 18 at 6:00 pm in the Lane Intermediate School cafeteria. Can't attend in person? Join the live stream by clicking the button below at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, October 18.
As you know, Lane Intermediate School is located at 1300 S. 109th St. West Allis with the east side of the school on highway 100 and is scheduled to close at the end of the current school year.
Our West Allis-West Milwaukee School District board is able to consider this proposal because of its ongoing careful financial planning.
The proposal will be funded through an increase in the recreation portion of the tax levy but even with the recreation expansion, the total projected school district tax mill rate will go down from $7.55 to $6.44 on each $1000 dollars of value. The portion of the tax levy which funds Recreation and Community Services can only be used for recreation and may not be used for the operation of schools.
In the past, the recreation portion of the tax levy only increased when Recreation leased space at 1205 S 70th St. and it has not increased at all in the last five years. This is why now is the right time for this proposal to be considered. Even with the recreation tax levy increase there will be a 14.66% drop in the school portion of the mill rate while at the same time providing the resources to create a new Recreation and Community Fitness Center from a closed school building.
Win-win for the schools and the larger community:
-
Creates new opportunities through effective fiscal management
-
Expands high-value recreation and athletic opportunities
-
Reduces the school tax mill rate overall from $7.55 to $6.44
-
Maintains access to high-quality gym space
-
Creates an accessible and inclusive playground
-
Provides employees with a free membership to the fitness center
-
Provides resources to support ongoing CIP needs in other aging district buildings
-
Maintains school board control of the property
Our West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board will make a final decision regarding the proposal for its Recreation and Community Services Department to lease Lane Intermediate School at a school board meeting no later than October 31, 2022 when the final 2022-2023 school district budget is formally approved.
Have questions or thoughts about this project? We want to hear them! Submit your questions here.
Thank you for your commitment to our community.
