District presents high-school planning update; traffic study, temporary instructional changes proposed for 2026

Waunakee Community School District administrators updated the facility committee on Oct. 6 about ongoing high-school planning, including a traffic engineering study, possible temporary facility changes for fall 2026 and broader long-term planning for the high school campus.

Roxanne Johnson, the civil engineer leading the traffic study for the district, and her firm have completed field data collection; staff said they expect a final report by mid-October. The study is intended to analyze on-site safety and circulation needs ahead of planned fall 2026 activities and longer-term renovation planning.

Administrators emphasized a two-pronged approach: near-term, lower-cost changes to support instruction and safety for September 2026 while protecting options for long-term campus planning. Staff said they are avoiding short-term investments that could conflict with a future long-range plan. Examples discussed include creating a secured entry between the high school and the new middle school, converting classroom space for a district wellness clinic currently in rented space, and potentially opening the middle-school music area (which sits over an original gym) to athletics by removing walls.

On instructional space, administrators proposed installing an improved teaching station at the high school that would mirror middle-school instruction practice; they described this as a lower-cost way to improve family and consumer sciences instruction without purchasing commercial-grade appliances that might be redundant if long-term plans locate the program elsewhere. "We're not comfortable investing that kind of money in a building or in a space that we don't know will be the home to family and consumer ed," a district administrator said.

Athletics was highlighted as an integrated planning item rather than a separate master plan. Staff are compiling needs such as permanent shelter and bathroom facilities for playing fields, press box and concession considerations for baseball/softball, and access/water on remote fields. Committee members cited recent incidents — including teams needing shelter during hail and lightning — as reasons to prioritize basic athlete amenities.

Staff requested guidance on whether the committee wants to meet in November to review conceptual designs and cost estimates before the November full-board packet; several committee members said the committee meeting is helpful for framing full-board discussion and recommended the committee meet in November. Administrators said design firm fees (for example, for drawings and price estimates) would be incurred regardless of whether a project proceeds and asked the board to indicate whether to commission design work for specific concepts.

No formal board-level commitments were recorded during the committee meeting; staff said several funding options are under consideration, including prior debt refinancing, district equity, savings from the middle-school project and a newly received one-time reimbursement check that the board will decide how to use.