The School District of Sheboygan Falls Board of Education has evaluated the District’s facility needs and has investigated possible solutions as the next step in our long-range facility plan.

With our promise to Expect the Exceptional in the forefront, the School District of Sheboygan Falls strives to be a school district of choice. In doing so, we commit to facilities that:

• Inspire and enable the whole student to reach their full potential

• Reflect our community’s values for academic excellence, arts, and athletics

• Provide safe, secure, and accessible learning environments for all

• Welcome, attract, and retain students, families, and staff

One Referendum Question Proposed to Address Critical Needs & School Improvements

On Thursday evening, 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space and critical capital improvement needs at the elementary school and addresses safety, aging building systems, and outdated, inefficient learning spaces at the high school.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 direct 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 include:

Sheboygan Falls Elementary School

○     Building a classroom addition (reduced size) for 4-year-old kindergarten and before/after school programs only, freeing up more space in the existing building for kindergarten through grade 4. The childcare program has been eliminated.

○     Targeted renovations to the existing kindergarten area and kitchen

○     Completing critical capital improvement projects including window and roof section replacements, mechanical system updates, kitchen equipment replacement, new playgrounds, and improving site drainage

Sheboygan Falls High School

○     Completing critical capital improvement projects including window, door and roof section replacements, mechanical, electrical and plumbing system updates, flooring, ceiling, paint, casework and lighting upgrades

○     Renovations to improve safety and address accessibility issues, including physical security modifications to allow sections of the building to be controlled after school hours, repairing the failing weight room floor and relocating the fitness center away from the middle of the school to control community access, replacing the elevator and existing stairs, adding a fire sprinkler system, and improving restrooms

○     Renovations of outdated, existing learning areas, including science labs, former computer labs, special education, and other small group classroom areas

○     Building a Career & Technical Education (CTE) addition ((reduced size) with appropriately sized classrooms and flexible labs to meet growing student program demands (culinary, woods, metals, robotics, agriculture, fabrication/grill, engineering/drafting, etc.)

○     Building a safer, more accessible student & community fitness center (reduced size) that is no longer in the center of the building and relocating tennis courts displaced by CTE addition

○     Renovations to the existing competition gym and locker rooms

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. Preliminary financing estimates are based on a phased borrowing approach, with interest rates estimated at 4.75% to 5% for tax-exempt municipal bonds. Taxpayers would note this increase on their 2026 tax bill, which will be sent to property owners in December 2025.

The tax impact is lower than the original November 2024 referendum as in October 2024. The reduced impact is caused by both the smaller project size and strategic decisions made by the Board to manage existing debt.

• The project cost has been reduced by approximately $8,000,000 compared to Question #1 of the 2024 referendum.

• The School Board continues to budget funds to prepay the loans borrowed for the 2016 Middle School referendum with the intent of stabilizing the tax rate.

• The Middle School loans have been reduced by 6 years saving taxpayers $4.4 million in interest.

• The strategy creates an easier transition to the payments for the proposed 2025 referendum, maintaining tax rate predictability for residents.

The School District will continue to provide more information about the revised plan and proposed work at both schools prior to the April 1, 2025 Spring General Election.

The School District of Sheboygan Falls began its facilities study process in December 2022, this included staff feedback, a third party assessment, community tours and conversations.

With these points of feedback and the enrollment and community growth study key findings were identified as follows.

Overall, the Sheboygan Falls school buildings have been well-maintained, with consistent annual capital maintenance investments helping to maximize their current conditions. However, the study also pointed to critical systems and areas that need further investment.