Fate of Sheboygan middle school rebuilds will go to $121M referendum this fall

SHEBOYGAN – The community will have a chance to vote on a Sheboygan Area School District referendum this November for the rebuild of Urban and Farnsworth middle schools .

The school district is seeking a majority vote on the referendum amount of $121 million for the rebuilds of the schools, which are nearly a century old.

Both schools need extensive repairs and upgrades, like window and generator replacements and HVAC and plumbing system updates.

“Schools are the heart of our community," Superintendent Jacob Konrath previously told the Sheboygan Press, "and we want to ensure we have safe and high-quality facilities to serve students today and for generations to come.”

The original proposal estimated a $140 million project cost, with the school district contributing $14 million. The updated plan decreases the referendum amount by $5 million.

The SASD Board of Education on July 23 approved to put the referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot. The school district last placed a referendum question on a ballot in 2016.

Farnsworth rebuild: What to know about the proposed Farnsworth Middle School rebuild in Sheboygan

Will taxes increase if the middle school referendum passes?

If the referendum receives majority support, SASD said the property tax mill rate would increase by 20 cents, or an annual tax increase of $20 for every $100,000 of a home’s value.

Is Urban Middle School moving to Mill Road?

No.

The middle school rebuilds were contentious when SASD initially proposed to move Urban Middle School to the corners of Mill and Najacht roads about a mile away from where it sits by North High School.

Among roughly 3,000 people who responded to a public survey earlier this year, there was general support for updating the middle schools, but support for a referendum was “too close to call.”

74% of staff residents who responded said they'd probably or definitely vote yes to the referendum and 64% of parents said they'd probably or definitely vote yes on the referendum. 49% of non-parent and non-staff respondents who lived within the district boundaries said they would probably or definitely support the referendum.

Weighted calculations for respondents leveraged parents and non-parents' responses higher than non-staff responses to make the sample more representative, as staff are likely to support school improvements. The weighted number put the support at 52%.

Community members resisted moving Urban because of a traffic safety and location concerns and interests in historical preservation in the original proposal.

Urban would stay at the current site in the new proposal, with remodeling to a portion of the building and a rebuild of a larger area. It would receive new secure entrances, more parking and natural lighting, and “appropriately” sized classrooms.

Farnsworth would stay in its current lot, flipped to face Ashland Avenue. Additions were built onto the building in 1973 and 1993, although the original building dates to 1930. Improvements would include moving the bus drop-off and pickup lane on Ashland Avenue and remodeling the gym, fitness center and two classrooms from the 1993 addition.

When would construction start if the middle school referendum passes?

The school district estimates construction could start in early 2026 and finish in 2028 if the referendum is successful.

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This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Fate of Sheboygan middle school rebuilds will go to $121M referendum this fall