MUKWONAGO — Mukwonago residents will see a referendum back on the ballot for the second time this year.
This time, the Mukwonago Area School District is asking voters to approve a $89.1 million referendum for a mix of new construction and renovation of Park View Middle School.
Two dozen community members attended an informational session and tour by district officials Wednesday night to learn more.
Ryan Bruhn is a father of three students in the district.
“I feel passionate about Mukwonago and schools. It’s our kids; we need to reinvest in them and our future,” he said.
According to the district, the referendum would address aging infrastructure, small classrooms, and changing needs within the district.
Watch: Mukwonago voters to decide on multi-million dollar referendum.
“We have 750 kids in the building, and we don't have enough room in bleachers for everyone,” said Luke Spielman, principal of Park View Middle School, on the tour.
If approved, the middle school would serve 6th-8th grade students. Currently, 6th graders attend school in the elementary school building.
The funding would also allow the district to create larger classrooms, a flexible space for student performances, and more activity spaces. The plan would create 210,000 square feet of new construction and renovate 32,400 square feet of space.
Superintendent Joe Koch emphasized the need for capital investment, citing required updates to boilers, HVAC systems, electrical work, and flooring.
“These are needs for our district,” Koch said.
This isn’t the first time the district went up for referendum. Back in April, voters turned down a $102 million referendum that would’ve replaced the middle school entirely.
With just under 10,000 votes cast in the race, 54% of voters said no, and 46% said yes.
After hearing from the community, the district determined the spring referendum was too expensive.
Now, if passed, homeowners would pay about $120 more a year in taxes on a $500,000 house.
For more details on the referendum, you can visit the Mukwonago Area School District’s website.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
