Waunakee board approves design elements for high-school campus work; $2.5M projects to be funded from savings

The Waunakee Community School District approved design elements for a set of high-school campus projects with an anticipated combined budget of $2.5 million, district staff said. Summers told the informational session that the board approved design (not final project authorization) and that the projects will be presented to the board for further consideration in a future meeting.

Summers said the district plans to reallocate savings from work that did not take place at the high school and savings from the new middle school project to fund the high-school campus work rather than using new levy authority. The two largest projects combined are safety-related: a new traffic-flow plan for the high-school property intended to prevent conflicts between students moving between buildings and community traffic, and upgrades so the existing middle school—s safety systems (clock, bell, PA, security cameras) match district standards.

Other changes described include adding secured entrances, allowing one high-school department to use space in the former middle school so most high-school teachers will have a classroom, permitting high-school students to use the existing middle-school cafeteria, and the gymnastics program—s access to the gym. Summers also said the district's K—8 alternative-placement program for grades K—88 could relocate into the existing middle-school building.

District staff framed the plan as short- and long-term: short-term moves would make the campus usable for high-school instruction while the board maintains the long-term goal that all high-school students be educated in the high-school building over time. The board approved design elements and will return with project-level proposals for board consideration.