Referendum goes to school

Muskego - To help Muskego-Norway School District voters decide on a $29.9 million elementary school referendum, the district will hold two information meetings, conduct a dozen building tours and try to answer voter questions in several other ways.

The referendum, to be presented to voters in a special election Nov. 8, would finance a plan to consolidate and update the elementary schools.

Two informal open house-style Referendum Information Nights will be held on the proposed plan. One will be Oct. 5 at Lakeview Elementary School, 26335 Fries Lane, and the other Oct. 17 at Mill Valley Elementary School, S6445 Hillendale Drive. Each will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and building tours will be provided.

School tours

Residents also are invited to take a first-hand look at the elementary facilities with two building tours scheduled for each elementary school and at Bay Lane Middle School and tours will be available by appointment.

Tours are scheduled at:

Mill Valley, S6445 Hillendale Drive: noon to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 17, and from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 21

Country Meadows, W16399 Hilltop Drive: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 11 and 12

Tess Corners Elementary, S6800 Durham Drive: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 6, and 8 to 9:30 a.m. Oct. 14

Muskego Elementary, W17476 Janesville Road: 9:30 to 11 a.m. Oct. 4, and 8 to 9:30 a.m. Oct. 14

Bay Lane Middle School, W16399 Hilltop Drive: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 11 and 12

Lakeview Elementary, 26335 Fries Lane: 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 5, and from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Oct. 6.

To get more information

Information on the proposed plan also is available on the district website at muskegonorway.org/referendum.

Residents will be welcome to email questions to referendum@muskegonorway.org or call Superintendent Joe Schroeder directly at (262) 971-1800, Ext. 2108.

Brief informational videos on the proposed plan will be available in all schools and are slated to run regularly on cable Channel 13 starting in early October.

Second attempt

A larger elementary school consolidation/update referendum failed last November by a relatively close vote. That referendum was for $34 million and envisioned going from five elementary schools to three. It would have closed two elementary schools, built a new one and added onto a fourth.

To save money, the current plan is to go from five to four elementary schools by closing the two oldest schools and building a new one.

Muskego and Tess Corners elementary schools would be closed and a new school built for 550 to 650 students on North Cape Road near Bluhm Park. Mill Valley School would grow to accommodate 450 to 500 students through an addition and renovations.

In addition, Lakeview Elementary would get a new gym, HVAC, secure entry and improvements for those with handicaps, and Country Meadows Elementary and Bay Lane Middle School each would get their own secure entrances although they share the same building.

The potential impact on taxpayers would be much less than last November's plan, which would have added $153 per year onto the property tax bill for a $250,000 home, Schroeder said. The new plan brings that down to an estimated $107.50 per year.