The Plan
Three questions aimed at protecting our district’s future.
Our school’s top priority is to provide students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for success in work or study following graduation. This is a challenging task without the ability to provide a stable budget or learning spaces that fully meet the needs of today’s learners. The proposed referendum plan aims to protect, preserve, and enhance the services and spaces we provide students by addressing these needs.
District residents will have an opportunity to vote on a referendum on Tuesday, November 5, to address Badger Community School’s biggest needs. The referendum asks voters to consider three ballot questions. The first two questions ask voters to consider operating levies to strengthen funding for daily student services, while Question Three asks voters to consider an investment to complete renovations and additions to address maintenance needs and improve learning spaces. This structure provides residents with several options for how to vote.
Questions One and Two: Operating Levies
Question One asks residents to consider an operating levy increase of $967.93 per pupil. This would provide our district with funding to reduce our budget deficit, limit future budget cuts, and protect existing student services and staffing levels over the short term. The funding would directly support teaching positions, curriculum, classroom supplies, and other daily needs.
Question Two asks residents to consider an additional operating levy increase of additional $967.93 per pupil. This would provide our district with increased long-term budget stability over the next several years, mitigate future budget cuts, and further protect existing student services for the next decade (assuming Question One is also approved). Funding would support the same daily needs as Question One.
Question Three: Building Bond Referendum
Question Three asks residents to consider a $15.23 million building bond referendum to complete renovations and add space to Badger Community School. If approved, this would ensure our school is equipped to serve future generations of learners with new spaces for technical education, athletics, and special education. Use the map below to explore the improvements included in Question Three!
Build an addition to the technical education shop to provide room for small engine, welding, and metalwork classes that prepare students for future careers.
Build a new gymnasium with one full-sized court and two junior high-sized cross courts, with new locker rooms, storage, and a weight room to support student-athletes and host competitions.
Renovate the existing gymnasium into rooms for music, a new media center, and a technology office.
Repurpose the existing media center for Special Education.
Repurpose the existing weight room/locker rooms to provide space for storage.
Add space near the gymnasium for concessions and restrooms to serve students and visitors better.
Repurpose the existing 5th-grade classroom into a flex space.
Repurpose the existing music room into a 5th-grade classroom.
Renovate restrooms to meet handicap and ADA accessibility.
Install a cooler/freezer to provide additional food storage capacity in the kitchen/cafeteria.
Make HVAC system improvements to improve air quality and energy efficiency, including a new boiler system.
Make parking lot improvements.
These renderings provide a look at what some of the proposed improvements to Badger Community School, included in Question Three, could look like. Please note that these renderings are purely conceptual. If approved, the design process would involve input from students, staff, and our community to ensure the design best suits those using the facilities. Renderings are provided by Foss Architecture.
Funds from the building bond (Question Three) would be used exclusively for the improvements outlined by the ballot question. These funds would be separate from our operating budget and would not be available to supplement the budget or other expenses.
What happens if the referendum is rejected?
If voters reject all three referendum questions, our district will face a projected general fund budget deficit of approximately $500,000 for the 2024/2025 school year, which will require cuts to staffing and services to reduce costs and avoid deficit spending.
Our district will also be unable to complete the comprehensive improvements to our learning spaces proposed under Question Three. Our school building’s needs will only grow and will need to be addressed at a later date.
