Outdoor facility task force to pursue feasibility study and "well-screen" with district and foundations

The New Berlin School District's Outdoor Facility Task Force told the board it will pursue a third‑party feasibility study and a separate "well‑screen" to test fundraising capacity for a possible multi‑million‑dollar campaign to upgrade tracks and other outdoor facilities.

Dave Cody, chair of the task force, said the group has "been working very closely with the New Berlin United Athletic Foundation, NBUAF," and has met with Abundant Philanthropy consultant Jason Perry to review how a feasibility study and well‑screen would work. "The feasibility study itself helps determine the readiness of, for a or the possibility of a campaign," Cody said.

The task force reported that the NBUAF is not set up as a 501(c)(3) and would partner with the district's Education Foundation so the foundation could hold and manage donations for the group. Task force members said the foundation agreed in principle to host a fund and to perform required annual reporting, and the district discussed splitting the cost of the feasibility study and well‑screen with the foundation so both entities have "skin in the game." The screening and study were described as a multi‑month process; Cody said the two steps typically take "about 3 plus months to complete."

Board members asked procedural and financial questions but task force leaders said they were not seeking board approval to begin the screening and study at the meeting. Instead, the task force asked for support to continue work with the consultant and partners and said it would return with results and a recommendation. Cody said if the screen and study show sufficient philanthropic capacity and interest, the next steps could include hiring a fundraising consultant on a month‑to‑month retainer; he said consultant rates discussed ranged from about $6,000 to $10,000 per month and that Jason Perry's firm quoted the lower end for this district's potential campaign.

The task force also reminded the board that the district has previously identified $2,000,000 in the long‑range facilities plan for new tracks at each high school and discussed whether additional district dollars could be used as a fundraising match to reduce the campaign target. Task force members said the study results would determine likely campaign scale and timeline; they estimated an early mid‑spring return with screening and study findings and a proposal for any consultant engagement.

Next steps listed by the task force: complete the well‑screen and feasibility study with a split cost agreement to be finalized, receive the consultant's reports, and return to the board with findings and any request for formal approval of a campaign or consultant agreement.