Middleton superintendent: high school over capacity; district to seek $2.47 million supplemental levy

Superintendent Gaitley told the Middleton City Council on Wednesday that student enrollment has climbed and some buildings are operating above their designed capacity, and the district will ask voters this fall to approve a $2,470,000, two‑year supplemental levy.

“This year, for the first time since it's been built, the Middleton High School is over capacity at a 101% of capacity,” Superintendent Gaitley said, citing a high school population of 1,572 students in a building with capacity listed at 1,550.

The nut of the proposal is financing for personnel and classroom needs the district says it currently covers with levies and other temporary sources. Gaitley said the supplemental levy would support teaching positions, teacher aides, one school resource officer and an expansion of security personnel; it would also fund curriculum adoption, activity subsidies and technology replacement.

Gaitley outlined recent and near‑term facility changes that he said are intended to relieve overcrowding. He described elementary border shifts this summer that reduced Heights Elementary’s enrollment from roughly 158% of capacity to about 117% after moving about 100 students to Purple Sage; Purple Sage is now at roughly 96% capacity, with three of six grades closed to open enrollment. Mill Creek Elementary was reported at about 113% of capacity with 693 students; the district’s alternative academy is intentionally small and runs roughly 90 students at the moment.

The district will continue to explore building options rather than a single large new elementary school, Gaitley said. He said a renovated brick building could cost about $10 million to bring up to code and that state funding could be used to build portions of new capacity without relying on further local taxpayer financing.

Gaitley said the district will ask patrons to approve the $2,470,000 two‑year levy this fall. He provided a cost example: "Cost per 100,000 is $58," he said when asked how the levy translates to property values. He added that if the levy does not pass, some district costs now covered by levy funds — including subsidized extracurricular fees and staff positions — would likely be passed back to families.

Gaitley also highlighted projects funded without additional local taxes: a new career and technical education (CTE) construction building he said was paid for by a $1,125,000 state grant, state modernization funds and a steel donation from local business R and M Steel. The district plans a ribbon cutting and open house for the CTE building on Oct. 6. He said new soccer practice fields on the high school campus were funded by a private donor; the district paid for sidewalk, fencing and power hookups.

The superintendent closed by saying he will hold community information meetings about the levy and invited council members to the CTE opening. He stood for questions from Mayor Hutchison and council members, who pressed for clarifications about building capacity, class sizes and levy impacts on taxpayers. No formal action on school financing was taken during the council meeting; the district indicated it will place the levy before voters in the coming election.

Ending: The district said it will publish more detailed levy information and meet with patrons in the coming weeks; Superintendent Gaitley said he would attend a district information meeting that evening.