West Bend board hears referendum construction updates for Greentree, McLean and new Jackson Elementary

Officials from EUA (design) and Findorff (construction) updated the West Bend Joint School District No. 1 Board of Education on progress for projects funded by the district’s fall referendum, focusing on Greentree Elementary, McLean Elementary and the new Jackson Elementary.

The presentation said Greentree and McLean have moved up on the district’s schedule so work will begin this June with construction wrapping into early fall. A Findorff representative reported a budget of $5,460,000 for the Greentree scope and said that, "we're right on track with pre ref budget," while the consultants emphasized these numbers are schematic-level estimates that will be refined during the next design phases.

Why it matters: the Greentree and McLean work prioritizes secure-entry sequences and accessibility changes the board identified as urgent. For Jackson, the district is designing a new building on Jackson Drive and intends to bid the new-school construction in winter 2025–26, with construction in spring 2026 through summer 2027 and an opening in fall 2027.

Greentree and McLean: presenters said the projects focus first on creating a secure entry sequence at each school by relocating administrative offices adjacent to the vestibule, improving receptionist sight lines, and installing laminated glazing at exterior entries. The designs also reconfigure oversized classrooms to provide appropriately sized intervention, speech and English-learner spaces; add restrooms where needed for early-learning classrooms; and complete priority capital-maintenance items identified in the district’s 2023 facilities report. Presenters described the work as phased so most activity occurs over the summer with limited fall carryover.

Findorff explained the bidding approach: the two small projects will be bid together with cost breakout by school so the district can capture economies of scale (for example window replacement or door work) while reporting discrete costs for each site. The firms said bidding in late spring and starting construction in June should produce a competitive contractor pool as many firms finish other summer projects and crews become available.

Jackson Elementary: EUA described stakeholder engagement used to shape the schematic design. The design team said they completed concept floor plans and site analysis showing the preferred building footprint north of the property to maximize views to the wetland and to create a secure play area adjacent to the community center. The plan centers the library as the building hub, separates public-access spaces (gym, cafeteria, library) for after-hours community use, and organizes classrooms around “learning communities” with flexible breakout spaces. The team noted circulation and drop-off design intended to keep queuing off Main Street and to provide separate bus and staff access from Spruce Street.

Schedule and next steps: Greentree and McLean are advancing through design development; Findorff expects to bid the projects in May and begin construction in June. Jackson is in schematic design (about one-third complete); the team will return in May with exterior and interior renderings and updated schematic budgets. Presenters said budget checks will continue at the end of each design phase and that construction documents will follow schematic and design-development approvals.

Board members asked about relocation of technology and security equipment from closing schools, bidding timing during summer, and how early-learning and 4K moves (some district-run programs moving from Rolfes to McLean and Jackson) will be staged. District staff said reusable equipment such as certain cameras will be inventoried and redeployed where useful and that the district will continue weekly coordination among principals, technology and construction teams to minimize disruptions. The board requested a follow-up presentation with more detailed budget tracking and timeline assurances at the May meeting.

Sources and evidence: the information above was presented to the board by EUA designers (Jackie Michaels and Katie Lacourte) and Findorff representatives (Kyle Ace, Justine Behrens and Derek) during the referendum update portion of the April 28 board meeting. The team described budgets as schematic estimates and said they are conducting regular budget checks as the designs are refined.