By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Since the Burlington Area School District began its review of its facilities, the single largest question mark has always been Karcher Middle School.
At the heart of the building is the original 1924 construction – what was originally Burlington High School. Over the years, four different additions have been made, and now, the district is facing millions in repairs on that building alone.
The referendum question that will appear on the ballot – Question No. 1 – asks whether the district should replace the current middle school, investing $59.3 million in a new, energy efficient, two-story middle school with the demolition of the old school, and provide about $9 million for other district-wide maintenance to the other schools.
That maintenance would include reconfigured entrances at Waller, Lyons, Dyer and Cooper schools, as well as renovating some vacated space to modern, flexible learning spaces.
Grades would be reconfigured at various schools as well, keeping the neighborhood schools but converting Dyer into a fifth elementary school.
The new middle school would house grades five through eight, and have a separate wing for Montessori.
The total figure for the new school and the various other upgrades is $68.3 million borrowed over 20 years. The cost would be an additional $1.23 per $1,000 of property value on the tax bill of a district resident.
In 2019, the district is scheduled to pay off the previous 1997 and 2004 referendums. That potential savings of $1.12 per $1,000 would be applied toward paying off the referendum debt.
Why build new?
When taking a look at all the maintenance that needs to be performed at Karcher Middle School – everything from replacing the original boiler system in the basement to cleaning up persistent mold in one of the classrooms – BASD Buildings and Grounds Superintendent Gary Olsen likens the situation to a car.
“It’s like having an old car,” Olsen said. “You’re never done fixing it.”
In the facilities study done on the school by Plunket Raysich Architects, the items needing attention were many. The facility study ranked repairs needed on a scale of level 1 to 3, with 1 needing immediate attention and 3 indicating the least priority.
The Level 1 repairs throughout the district make up the smallest number – $446,175 – among the three. That total, though, includes $133,100 work that is recommended at Karcher.
The largest single Level 1 repairs for Karcher include replacing exterior joint sealants ($32,000), updating a portion of lighting fixtures ($26,000) and reviewing and adding security cameras ($42,000).
There are other concerns, though. The electrical needs for the building are outpacing the wiring and amperage in the building, Olsen said, and the air handling units and boilers in the building date back to the original 1924 section.
The air-handling and boiler unit replacements add up to a $1 million price tag.
Olsen also said that steam lines and condensate lines in the building are failing due to age. Most of those pipes are located in walls and floors – not even counting pipes that are accessible through old “pipe chases” in the building.
“You’re literally jackhammering a floor out,” Olsen said. “You develop a leak, you have to tear a wall out.”
There is also an old curtain wall built in the 1959 section that is in need of replacing due to its inefficiency, and a gap between that wall and the original building’s foundation.
One other concern is asbestos. While it is currently contained, much of the work would require abatement of the substance.
Not just repairs
Karcher Principal Jill Oelslager explained that problems aren’t the only issues needing to be addressed. With the curriculum constantly changing, more group project work needs to happen.
Classrooms need to collaborate, and the district needs flexible learning spaces for breakout and small group projects.
“The curriculum we use is up to date,” Oelslager explained. “But the facility doesn’t match the curriculum.”
The issue of 21st-century learning spaces is one that BASD Superintendent Peter Smet calls an evolution in learning. First there were one-room schoolhouses, and then what he termed “egg-carton schools” in the 1970s.
“Now, with the IEDA law, we are finding we need more and flexible spaces,” said Smet, pointing to large classrooms and small, flexible furniture options and different spaces for different kinds of classes.
“Instruction isn’t in neat little rows anymore,” Oelslager said.
The building is also not ADA compliant, and lacks up-to-date lighting and ventilation equipment.
Why are there problems?
One of the many questions that has been raised in the last few months as the district has worked to educate the public on this referendum is why the district chose only to offer the “build new” option for Karcher.
Indeed, there were other options considered, including renovating the existing structure or rebuilding it and leaving only portions intact.
There have also been rumblings from some in the district – including at Tuesday night’s “Flip Side” meeting – that the district has not put aside money to handle large-ticket items, and has been wasting money in some fashion.
However, district officials have maintained throughout the facilities study process that it cannot put aside the money needed each year to handle the large maintenance items, much less build a new school. The budgetary constraints as imposed by the state translate to a need to go to referendum to go above the current tax base, they said.
BASD is not the only district facing aging facilities and long-term maintenance needs. When Nexus-Scherrer first approached the district in 2013 to possibly work with them to find savings and energy efficiencies, the company made it clear that many districts were trying to find a way to improve older facilities – and being forced to go to referendum to do it.
Since then, Elkhorn, Mukwonago and East Troy have all had referendums approved to build new facilities.
Lisa Voisin of Baird and Associates gave about a 45-minute presentation on things the School Board should consider heading into a potential referendum back in December, before the questions were set.
“What are some of the highlights, what are some of the questions you’re going to get asked?” Voisin explained.
Voisin said Baird works with about 80 percent of the school districts in Wisconsin. Since 2012, the number of referendums in the state has doubled from 40 to 82.
“You’re not alone,” Voisin said. “There’s a lot of districts out there that have the same needs you do.”
Tax bills
One of the most common complaints in the whole process has been the size of the Burlington Area School District tax levy – and other potential costs down the road.
While some maintain the district’s levy costs are too high as it is – school taxes are the single largest part of any area tax bill – the district’s mill rate is within range of its neighbors; mostly within 10 to 25 cents (higher or lower) of K-12 districts, or the combined costs of unified districts like Waterford with separate graded and high school levies.
However, concerns have been raised about what else will be added to the tax bill in the next few years. The City of Burlington approved a $5.4 million referendum to build a new community pool, and additional projects such as a joint government center with Racine County and a new City Hall and public library loom large in the City of Burlington’ future plans.
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