The North Crawford School building is 31 and 26 years old. The original part of the building is 31 years old, and the addition is 26 years old. Many of the major components of the building and grounds are original to when the buildings were built, including the roof, windows, most of the flooring, parking lots, and other components of the facility. Much like a person's own home, eventually you are required to start performing maintenance projects.

The school district has completed several capital improvement projects over the last several years out of the district budget. Unfortunately we are at a point where we can not support the scope of the work that needs to be done out of our budget. We are asking district residents to authorize the school district to borrow $4,500,000 to complete capital improvement projects in the district.

During our pre-referendum process, the district facilitated several Community Task Force meetings, involving district staff, school board members, parents, and community members. Through this process, several capital improvement projects were identified. The district worked with FEH Design out of Dubuque, IA, and Kraemer Bros. Construction out of Plain, WI, to assign preliminary dollar amounts to these different projects. The Task Force then prioritized those projects by need and cost.

A survey was then sent to all district residents asking for their input on the different projects being proposed, and the dollar amounts. Based on the survey results, the North Crawford school board decided that $4,500,000 was a dollar amount that would allow us to complete several of the higher priority projects, and was also a dollar amount that many residents were comfortable with.

Using community feedback, the district has prioritized the different projects into two tiers, Tier 1 being the highest priority projects, and Tier 2 being the next priority of projects. The potential projects are listed below, along with an estimated cost for each project. These costs are simply estimates, and are likely to change during the bidding process.

TIER 1 PROJECTS

Reroof of Building - $2,890,000

Repair Finish System of High Roof Walls - $170,000

Replace Exterior Windows - $150,000

Update Middle and High School Showers - $150,000

Elementary and High School Restroom Updates - $77,000

Add 4 Unisex Restrooms - $90,000

Tier 2 PROJECTS

Replace Parking Lots - $525,000

Replacing Flooring in Hallways and Common Areas - $130,000

Add Childcare Rooms - $130,000

Update Library Media Center - $100,000

Renovate Agriculture, Family & Consumer Ed, and Tech Ed Classrooms - $1,300,000

Add Upper STorage for Theater - $100,000

Construct New Outdoor Concession/Restroom Facility - $175,000

The school board will have the final say on which projects are chosen for completion, working within the $4.5 million budget.

The district has contracted with Kraemer Bros. Construction out of Plain, WI to serve as our general contractor. All of the projects that we complete in the district will go through a formal bidding process. All local subcontractors will be encouraged to bid on any projects that are applicable to their expertise and skill set. As the district has always done, we will attempt to use local subcontractors to the extent possible. The district will be initimately involved in the bidding process, and will have the final say on who is awarded the bid.

On average, we will see a mill rate increase of $.55 per $1,000 of equalized value. What this means is the average tax increase for district residents will be $55 per $100,000 of equalized value. These numbers are assuming a 20-year loan, with 4.5% interest.

Without the authorization to borrow the money, the district will not be able to complete the capital projects as identified. Instead, the district will continue to perform preventative maintenance to the extent possible. However, as it is with maintenance projects, they are not going to fix themselves. It's likely that these projects will create additional costs over time, as the district begins to have secondary issues. Additionally, not addressing these issues could lead to health and safety issues for staff and students, increased operational costs, and difficulty attracting new families and staff due to outdated facilities.

Email: bmunson@ncrawford.k12.wi.us
Website: www.northcrawford.com
Location: 47050 County Road X, Soldiers Grove, WI, USA
Phone: (608) 735-4318
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057263208876
Twitter: @northcrawford