Single Referendum Question Proposed to Address Critical Needs & School Improvements
You may have heard the news! On Thursday, January 16th, the Sheboygan Falls School Board voted to present School District voters with a significantly revised facilities referendum on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. The proposed single question referendum project provides urgent space and critical capital improvement needs at the elementary school and addresses safety, aging building systems, and outdated, inefficient learning spaces at the high school.
In response to voter feedback, the revised facilities plan has been reduced to a not-to-exceed total project cost of $70 million. The School Board has eliminated the second question proposed in November 2024, which included building a new auxiliary gym, new multi-sport field, and new track for $21.5 million. They have reduced the first question focused on elementary and high school improvements by more than $8 million by removing space for childcare and further prioritizing projects at both buildings.
The proposed $70 million project includes the highest-priority projects, focused on providing space at the Elementary School, investing in existing buildings, and improving learning environments. “As a District, we feel it very important to return to our community with a revised plan that demonstrates we have heard them, and that we have listened,” noted District Administrator Zach Pethan. “The immediate facility and space needs we have at the elementary and high schools are not going away and neither is our goal to create facilities that align with our promise to Expect the Exceptional in Sheboygan Falls.”
Revised project highlights are detailed on our website HERE.
The revised total project cost of $70M (reduced from $99.8M for both questions) translates to an estimated annual maximum tax rate for debt increase of $0.25 per $1,000 of equalized (or fair market) property value compared to the 2024 tax bill. That means that, if the referendum project is approved, for every $100,000 of property value, property owners would see an increase of $25 per year. For example, a property valued at $250,000 would note an estimated increase of $62.50 per year or approximately $5.21 per month.
The School District of Sheboygan Falls will continue to provide more information about the revised plan and proposed work at both schools in the coming weeks, prior to the April 1, 2025 Spring General Election. For up to date information, please don’t hesitate to contact District Administrator Zach Pethan via email or 920-467-7893 or visit the referendum website HERE.
