With the help of the Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee and the results of a District-wide community survey, the School District of Marshfield placed a referendum question on the April 4, 2023 ballot for an investment in school maintenance and upgrades, not to exceed $99.5 million.

The community spoke on April 4, 2023 and told us that there was not support for the plan as presented. We appreciated the feedback by our community. Unfortunately, facility needs remain.

Soon after the referendum, the District solicited feedback and determined it needed to take a fresh look at our facility planning. As a result, the District received proposals from firms that specialize in assessing school facilities and helping Districts develop long-range facility plans. Ultimately, the District selected Nexus Solutions to support our facility assessment and planning efforts. Nexus kicked off the process in November, 2023 and will present a comprehensive report to the District and Board in April, 2024.

The facility assessment and planning process will focus on options to address the District’s highest priority needs in the most fiscally-responsible way possible, while also providing a plan to address future needs. An important part of the process will be engaging with staff, parents, students, and taxpayers to share information and gather feedback.

Although the District understands there are facility needs at our Elementary Schools, Middle School and High School, the facility assessment and planning process will take the time to examine the following areas in great detail:

Infrastructure and Building Systems
Foundations
Flooring
Heating/cooling
Ventilation
HVAC Controls
Electrical
Lighting
Plumbing
Wells, septic, and water treatment systems
Roofing
Hardscapes
Building envelope
Playgrounds
Parking lots

Educational Adequacy
Staff satisfaction with heating, cooling, air quality, lighting, daylighting, furniture, technology, and site safety/traffic flow
Building entry sequences and safety protocols
Building capacity
Interactive, flexible and collaborative spaces
Space types and adjacency
Classroom technology
Art, music, drama, STEM, FACE, and indoor athletic spaces Administrative and other support or common spaces
Storage spaces
Furniture, fixtures and equipment Site circulation and amenities

Funding Options
A thorough examination of all the funding tools available to the School District of Marshfield to pay for prioritized facility needs.

Yes. In fact, for many decades minor maintenance items have been covered in annual budgets. Referendums are designed to gain approval to fund larger maintenance and facility upgrade projects that cannot be funded by the annual budget.

Revenue limits were put into place in 1992 by the State of Wisconsin, reducing the ability of School Districts to raise the tax levy without gaining taxpayer approval. This was an effort to provide checks and balances for local taxpayers. Those checks and balances now come in the form of a referendum.

As a result, rather than the State of Wisconsin deciding which School District receives which amount of money, the question remains local. If a local referendum passes or fails, it is local dollars, impacting local education, and for local children.