Freedom school district to go to referendum April 2 for capital improvements totaling $62.5 million

When voters in the Freedom Area School District go to the polls on April 2, they will be asked whether to approve $62.5 million for capital improvements to the middle and high school building.

If approved, the additional funds would address improvements at the middle and high school and allow the district to reduce overcrowding at the elementary school.

The district hopes to do this by expanding tech education, music education and the cafeteria, and updating classrooms, labs, HVAC systems and plumbing. Those changes would enable the district to move fifth-graders to the middle school, which would free up space at the elementary school.

Why does the Freedom Area School District want to go to referendum?

The referendum is part of a facilities planning process that began in 2022. In a community survey conducted in fall 2023, 57% of the 1,160 community members surveyed said they would support the base plan, estimated at $49.8 million. Respondents also indicated the cafeteria and fitness room project was the top priority for additional improvements, at a cost of $12.7 million.

Why did the district choose to upgrade the middle and high school facilities?

A building feasibility study conducted in April 2017 found the middle and high school building needed several upgrades.

District superintendent Jill Mussett said they studied several ways to address the need to update the facilities. Based on community feedback in the 2023 survey, officials decided to expand and renovate the existing building at N4021 Outagamie County Road E.

By renovating the current middle and high school location, the district would be able to stay within the maximum amount of money the district can borrow, Mussett said.

What upgrades does the middle and high school building need?

Mussett said the top priorities for new facilities are the tech and music education classrooms, along with the new cafeteria.

Upgrading the tech classrooms — the woodworking, metalworking and auto shops — would better support the school's trades and youth apprenticeship programs, while new music classrooms would improve the acoustics in practice spaces.

The new cafeteria would house more students, alleviating scheduling issues and allow for better ventilation.

If the referendum passes, the district would also replace some of the heating and plumbing systems, some of which date to before 1980. Despite yearly maintenance, Mussett said some of the equipment is "living on borrowed time" and has lasted over its recommended service life.

Mussett added that the new addition would allow more natural light in the students' spaces by moving the cafeteria and some classrooms out of the school basement.

Other improvements would include adding space and equipment to the art rooms, library, greenhouse and the weights and fitness areas.

All these changes would not only update and modernize the existing middle and high school space, but also support moving the fifth-graders to the middle school building. If the referendum passes, Mussett said that part of the transition is tentatively planned for fall 2026.

How would the fifth-grade transition work, and why is it needed?

While the specific details of transitioning fifth-graders are still a work in progress, Mussett said the fifth-graders would have a closely grouped set of classrooms nearest the cafeteria, gym and other common areas at the middle school.

With the fifth-graders at the elementary school, she said, the elementary school has had to convert storage rooms and locker rooms into classrooms and hold music classes in the cafeteria, causing safety and scheduling issues.

If it passes, what will the referendum cost in property taxes?

Currently, the property tax rate in Freedom is $5.25 per $1,000 of property value for the 2023-24 school year. The tax burden for the referendum would raise the tax rate an additional $1.77 per $1,000 over the course of 21 years — an increase of about 34%.

For example, the owner of a home valued at $200,000 would pay $1,050 in local school taxes under the 2023-24 tax rate. If the referendum passes, and all else remained the same, the same homeowner would pay $1,404 in local school taxes.

Where can I go to find out more about the referendum and how to vote?

The district plans to provide building tours at 5:30 p.m. March 21, followed by a community meeting at 7. Mussett also plans to host school building tours at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. March 26, as well as informal coffee talks at B's Brew at 7:30 a.m. March 14, 2 p.m. March 18, and 4:30 p.m. March 20.

The district has more information about the referendum at freedomschools.k12.wi.us.

For information about registering to vote and polling locations, visit myvote.wi.gov/en-us.

Rebecca Loroff is an education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Contact her with story tips and feedback at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @RebeccaLoroff.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Freedom school district to ask for $62.5 million in capital improvements