Muskego — Muskego-Norway School District voters will be asked Nov. 2 to approve a referendum that calls for borrowing $34 million to finance an elementary school consolidation plan.
The plan, approved Monday by the School Board, would reduce the number of grade schools from five to three, including a new elementary school.
The consolidation actually would cost $39 million, but the board voted to chip in $5 million out of the district's fund balance to reduce the amount that needs to be borrowed.
This is a scaled-down plan from the $58 million to $65 million in elementary school upgrades the board has been considering.
School officials were trying to find a balance between what the community would accept and what would address the most pressing needs.
Getting a referendum on the ballot is the climax of a three-year journey that started with a facilities task force studying the elementary needs, followed by a series of listening sessions for the community and finally a community survey.
Board members determined that they were prepared to stop at any time, based on the feedback they received.
"To me, it has been a very deliberate and professional process," said board President Jim Schaefer.
"We've tried to keep this very much in check," said board member Michael Serdynski. Officials have listened to the community and picked apart ideas, he said.
The result, board member Brett Hyde said, is a "fantastic" plan. It would be a disservice not to bring it to the community, he said.
Board members consider the $34 million proposal as the first phase of the work that needs to be done, leaving open the option of doing more of what is in the $58 million to $65 million plans later.
Board member Dean Strom cast the only vote against applying $5 million from the fund balance to reduce the proposed borrowing.
He said the district will pay too high a price. Taking the money out will not leave enough in the fund balance so that the district has spending money until property tax revenues come in, he said. That means the district will have to borrow every year and pay interest on the short-term loans, which is something most Wisconsin school districts do already.
But other members of the board argued that a concentrated effort will be launched to bring the fund balance back up as quickly as possible. The sale of the two elementary schools to be closed could pay back most of the $5 million.
Also, the short-term borrowing interest rates are extremely low at this time, board member Rick Petfalski said.
AT A GLANCE
The Muskego-Norway elementary school plan for which the School Board will ask voters for authority to borrow $34 million:
• essentially close three of the current five elementary schools. Tess Corners and Muskego elementary schools would be retired. Country Meadows Elementary students would be absorbed into other elementary schools.
• build a new elementary school on district land off North Cape Road just southeast of Bluhm Park;
• expand and renovate Mill Valley Elementary School, also giving it secure entrances;
• leave Lakeview Elementary School largely unchanged except for giving it a secure entrance and better wheelchair access;
• turn the Bay Lane Middle School/Country Meadows Elementary School building entirely into a middle school; segregate the fifth grade from the upper grades; and make entrances secure.
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It is amazing to me that with this economy we are considering spending 39 million dollars. Yes that is what they are spending, they are only gooing to borrow 34 million and even that is misleading. What is their specific plan to pay back the 5 million they are going to take from the operating budget? Does anyone really believe those two pieces of property will sell for that price in a short time? Right now short term interest rates are low, but how long before inflation starts to rear its head? You cannot continue to artificially pour money into the economy without inflationary pressures. Despite what my friends on the other side of the aisle think, government jobs do not contribute to the GNP.
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It is amazing to me that with this economy we are considering spending 39 million dollars. Yes that is what they are spending, they are only gooing to borrow 34 million and even that is misleading. What is their specific plan to pay back the 5 million they are going to take from the operating budget? Does anyone really believe those two pieces of property will sell for that price in a short time? Right now short term interest rates are low, but how long before inflation starts to rear its head? You cannot continue to artificially pour money into the economy without inflationary pressures. Despite what my friends on the other side of the aisle think, government jobs do not contribute to the GNP.
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Back to topKeithljt - Aug 13, 2010 5:05 PM - Report Abuse
Keithljt - Aug 13, 2010 5:04 PM - Report Abuse