Voters in Waukesha County decided Tuesday night on two large referendums aimed at funding significant upgrades to local schools.
Mukwonago Area School District Referendum Approved
Voters in the Mukwonago Area School District approved an $89.1 million project for a mix of new construction and renovation of Park View Middle School.
The approval means that Park View will undergo a major renovation, with construction slated to begin in late 2025/early 2026, and the new school is expected to open for the 2027-2028 school year, according to the district’s superintendent.
With just over 20,000 votes cast in the race, 51% of voters said no, and 49% said yes.
According to the district, the referendum will address aging infrastructure, small classrooms, and changing needs within the district.
The new middle school will also serve 6th-8th grade students. Currently, 6th graders attend school in the elementary school building.
Amy Hughes, a Mukwonago parent with two children in the district, was among those who voted “yes” to the referendum. Hughes moved to Mukwonago specifically for the quality of its schools and sees the $89 million investment as essential for the district's continued growth and success.
“My daughter is in elementary school now, but I know eventually she’ll be in Park View,” Hughes said. “If we don’t keep our schools healthy and vibrant, it impacts our community.”
Starting in 2027, local property owners can expect an increase in their taxes of $24 annually for every $100,000 of property value.
Donna Schwerdtfeger lives in the village of Vernon and voted against the referendum. She cited concerns about the cost.
“I felt it was a lot of money,” Schwerdtfeger said. “I wish they would have broken it down into smaller, more manageable amounts instead of asking for such a large sum.”
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.
Arrowhead High School Facilities Referendum Split Decision
Voters in the Arrowhead Union High School District split on two referendum questions, narrowly approving a $1.9 million yearly operational referendum, and rejecting a proposed $261.2 million facilities referendum.
The first was an operations referendum to pay for things like utilities and special education, which passed with 50.8% of the vote.The school will receive $1.9 million every year for four years,
Currently, AHS operates two separate buildings: the North and South campuses.
Arrowhead's second proposal, which asked voters to approve $261.2 million to build a new high school, was rejected by 58.5% of voters, or 14,092 people. Roughly 24,100 people voted in total.
Many in the district expressed concerns over the project's steep price tag.
“I don’t agree with it. I think they have such a nice school already, and I went to Arrowhead. I just think costing the citizens of Hartland that much money is not good right now,” Trenten Miner, a Hartland resident and Arrowhead graduate, said.
"I couldn’t afford it," said one Hartland resident who voted against the referendum. Despite the high cost, some parents supported the plan, believing it was necessary to meet the growing needs of the district’s student population.
The approved $1.9 million measure will cost property owners roughly $2 annually for every $100,000 of property value.
TMJ4 reached out to AHS for comment on what's next for the district but did not immediately hear back.
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