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Fond du Lac board backs $7.5 million referendum, earmarks $4 million for school safety upgrades

Fond du Lac School District Board of Education · January 13, 2026
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Summary

The Fond du Lac School District Board of Education voted to authorize a referendum question that would let the district exceed state revenue limits by $7.5 million per year for four years; trustees directed roughly $4 million of that proposal toward K–12 safety and security upgrades including secured entrances and integrated camera and door systems.

At its regular meeting the Fond du Lac School District Board of Education approved a pair of resolutions to exceed the state revenue limit and place a $7.5 million‑per‑year, four‑year operational referendum before voters. A board member moved the measure and trustees approved the motion by roll call, 6–0.

The action authorizes the district to seek nonrecurring operational revenue that administrators say is intended to address several priorities, chief among them a safety and security package estimated at $4,000,000. District staff and vendor partners told trustees the safety money would fund three secured entrances at Fond du Lac High School and integrated electronic systems — visitor management, exterior and interior cameras, key‑fob door access and door sensors — at all K–12 sites.

"I move that the Board of Education approve the resolution authorizing the school district budget exceed the revenue limit by 7,500,000 per year for 4 years for non recurring purposes," the motion states. Trustees completed a roll call on the first section and on the referendum resolution; the board recorded six yes votes and no dissent.

Administrators said the $4,000,000 safety scope represents part of a broader $7,500,000 operational request. They described the construction portion of the high‑school entrances as roughly $1,600,000 (hard construction with contingency) and said the remaining $2.4 million would fund technology and system integration. The vendors who helped shape the estimates included Excel Engineering and CD Smith.

Presenters also reminded the board of a 2019 facilities referendum of about $98.5 million that funded physical upgrades (front offices, secure entrances and some maintenance) but did not include the integrated electronic systems that are now being proposed. Administrators said the 2019 work left a physical security footprint at most schools but left the district without comprehensive camera coverage or integrated visitor‑management systems.

Board members asked for clarity on scope and contingency planning, raising that prior estimates had ranged higher and that technology scope (camera coverage, interior door access sensors, vape detection in prior proposals) had been adjusted to fit the current request. Administrators said the proposed referendum would allow them to begin projects after a successful public vote; final contracts and exact scopes would be refined during implementation.

Next steps: the board has authorized the question to appear on the ballot; if voters approve the referendum, district staff will return to the board with final project budgets, timelines and vendor contracts for approval and public information.