October 30, 2024 – West Bend, Wi – The West Bend School District referendum deserves a “NO” vote when you go to the polls. This referendum is asking for $165 million (including interest) in order to build a new Jackson Elementary and update the remaining 5 schools (6 if you count East and West high schools separately).
While closing Decorah and Fair Park Elementaries, the Rolfs Early Childhood Center, and the Education Service Center (ESC) makes good fiscal sense, a good portion of the referendum will involve re-configuring the high school(s) in order to make room for the administration office as well as the alternative school, which currently is in the ESC.
McLane Elementary, Green Tree Elementary, and Silverbrook Intermediate School will also need re-configurations in order to fit in the preschool classes (and their “en suite” bathrooms) currently in the Rolfs building. If the district wanted to save a huge amount of money when “right sizing,” why not combine the two high schools into one?
Deferred maintenance is a large part of the proposed referendum, such as repairing masonry at a couple schools. In addition, virtually all the remaining 5 schools are slated for security upgrades such as improving entrances…