The Mequon-Thiensville Board of Education approved a $18.2 million Facilities Referendum to place on the April 7, 2015 ballot to address facility updates in all district buildings. These updates include the replacement of aging boilers, inefficient single-pane windows and deteriorating building exteriors. Other improvements involve new flooring, roofing and the creation of collaborative learning spaces necessary to meet the needs of modern curriculum.

According to a Mequon-Thiensville School District MTSD press release, the unanimous Board of Education vote came after extensive planning of the creation of a long-range facilities plan, the work of a 17-member ad-hoc committee which recommended a facilities referendum, the holding of open houses at all seven district buildings and the administration of a community survey that revealed strong community support for a referendum.

Based on the community survey, nearly 93 percent of parents whose children currently attend or have attended MTSD schools and 65 percent of non-parents agreed or

strongly agreed to the statement, “I would vote yes on a referendum question if I felt that it was the correct solution that addressed the needs identified as Capital Improvement Projects.”

Moreover, the response to the statements, “I believe the district’s facility needs must be addressed now,” and “I believe that learning facilities that support a modern curriculum are important to student learning,” generated higher agreement levels than typically seen from those types of questions with approximately 93 percent  agreement from parents for both questions and 68 percent  and 80 percent agreement for each, respectively.

Mrs. Mary Cyrier, school board president, said, “The unanimous vote in December stated that the Board believes the public should provide direction to the district on this very important issue.”

To maintain safe and healthy learning environments, approximately $14 million of capital improvements need to be made, which include architectural, mechanical, electrical and security improvements. In addition to the capital improvements in all district buildings, the other approximately $4 million will go towards the creation of student-centered learning environments in both middle schools and at Homestead.

Mr. Brett Bowers, Homestead principal,  said, “[At Homestead], the lecture hall will be transformed into a ‘discovery center’ that will provide students more access to technology as well as additional environments for collaboration. Next to the lecture hall, a distance learning center will be created that will allow students to access any form of learning resource that is available via an electronic or digital medium.”

In addition, the middle school Instructional Media Centers “[are] set up to be quiet, independent learning environments,” Ms. Kate Dunning, Lakeshore Middle School principal, said. “The referendum would allow us to implement a collaborative learning environment in which students can learn from one another.”

“[At Wilson Elementary School], new windows and replacement sections of the roof boilers are among the most extensive projects being proposed.  Being able to control the temperature within the building will allow for a more comfortable learning environment for all of our students,” Mrs. Jocelyn Sulsberger, Wilson Elementary School principal, said.

According to Dr. Demond Means, superintendent of schools, the district’s goal is to provide factual information to the public through a community mailer that was sent in November 2014 and the information that is posted on the district website.

According to the Dec. 16, 2015 MTSD press release concerning the topic. “It is important to note that due to funding formula constraints, it is difficult for schools to save money over time to address maintenance and improvements in the same way that a homeowner might. School districts generally are compelled to seek a referendum for funding large-scale projects.”

“As a district, we want to inform the public, students and adults alike,” Dr. Means said.