Franklin School District voters to decide on $145 million referendum in November

Franklin School District voters will have a referendum to decide upon this November.

The School Board voted in June to put a $145 million facilities referendum on the November ballot.

Here's what to know about the proposal.

What projects would the referendum fund?

The project would fund $123.1 million in projects at Franklin High School, which include:

• Building a technical education area for autos, woods, metals, construction, culinary arts and nursing classes

• Building a five-court fieldhouse, multipurpose room, locker rooms, weight room

• Building classrooms and special education support areas

• Building an eight-lane competition pool with spectator seating and locker rooms

• Renovating science labs

• Creating tennis courts

• Expanding parking for staff, students and events

The project would also fund $21.9 million for updates at the district's five elementary schools and Franklin High School, including:

• Addressing Americans with Disabilities Act compliance

• Improving fire alarm/sprinkler and security systems

• Repairing and replacing roof sections

• Repairing building exteriors

• Repairing major building systems

• Improving energy efficiency

• Repairing sidewalks and parking lots

When would the work be done?

The projected time to complete the referendum projects is fall 2028, but district communications Chad Kafka said that timeline was "very preliminary."

"There are many factors that go into this work that could expedite or lengthen the project," he said.

Why is the district pursuing this referendum?

The decision to turn to voters with a referendum came after a facility study the district conducted over the last year and a half examining its existing buildings. The study reviewed facilities "from a structural perspective, a mechanical perspective and operational perspective," according to a board document about the referendum resolution.

The district also worked with MD Roffers, a planning company, to better understand long-term student enrollment projections, according to that same board document.

The facilities study led to presentations at board meetings, community engagement sessions and a community survey, all before the board agreed to put the referendum on the November ballot.

The long-range facility planning process revealed three primary challenges:

• The need to address aging building systems such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, plumbing and roofing; interior finishes such as windows, walls, doors, floors; and furnishings across the older school buildings

• Predicted steady enrollment growth in the Country Dale Elementary School attendance area

• Outdated high school classrooms and support areas, including the technical education area; the gym, which lacks the space needed for physical education classes and athletics; and classrooms and labs that are too small, outdated and lack space for small-group instruction. Additionally, some classrooms or labs are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. More than 75% of the high school was not updated during the district's 2012 referendum projects.

What did survey respondents think of potential projects?

A summary of the community survey results revealed 64% of respondents thought the district should pursue a referendum. The summary also said 68% of respondents supported ADA compliance updates, capital maintenance, building systems, safety, security and site improvements at four of the district's five elementary schools and Franklin High School.

However, there was only 37% support for building a new Country Dale Elementary School, and only 32% support for an extra project at Franklin High School that would have created fabrication and agriculture labs with a greenhouse, as well as rebuilding areas for general education, business, technology classrooms/labs and guidance/staff support.

The resolution the board approved in June reduced the project scope from $185 million to $145 million.

The board will re-examine when to reconsider replacement of the Country Dale Elementary School building, which was found by the district's facility study to be 70% inadequate. Problems with the existing building include: a lack of collaborative and breakout spaces; lack of properly sized 4- and 5-year-old kindergarten and core curriculum classrooms; lack of small group and intervention spaces; lack of proper special education spaces; lack of commons/physical education/community room.

The study also said there are inadequate outdoor spaces such as bus/parent pickup and dropoff/playgrounds.

What is the estimated tax impact of the referendum?

If approved, there would be an estimated tax impact of an additional 82 cents per $1,000 of property value. The owner of a $400,000 home would pay an additional $328 in school taxes annually. The district's 2023-24 school tax rate was $7.94 per $1,000 of property value.

When did the district last hold a referendum?

The district's last referendum was in November 2016. Voters passed a $43.3 million facilities referendum that built a new Forest Park Middle School and demolished the old building.

In 2012, the district approved two of three referendum questions totaling $33 million that renovated about 23% of Franklin High School "to provide updated math/science spaces," as well as create the Saber Center for the Performing Arts, the district's website said.

Voters rejected the third referendum question, which totaled $15.8 million and would have added a gym to the now former Forest Park Middle School building, relocated and renovated music instruction spaces, expanded the cafeteria, added parking and site improvements, according to the Wisconsin Department of Instruction's referendum history database.

Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Franklin School District voters to decide on $145 million referendum