Nexus updates Wilmot UHS board on referendum design; stormwater bids reviewed, ADA, stadium and lab work advanced

A Nexus senior program manager told the Wilmot UHS School District board that the referendum-funded renovation program is “a little bit past 50% design” and outlined changes across sitework, athletics, and interior learning spaces.

The presenter said Nexus has run nine main design meetings with district leadership and specialist sessions with maintenance, career and technical education, athletics and other staff. The team conducted a building tour of Oak Creek High School and planned a flooring field trip to Gateway and Elkhorn to help finalize finish choices.

On site work, Nexus said it has updated plans for North and South parking lots to improve ADA access, including regrading to flatten routes for wheelchairs and crutches and restriping stalls (the presenter noted losing “one or two stalls” during restriping). “It’s not just a parking stall, but it’s the ramp,” the presenter said, describing the work to create a safe path from accessible stalls into the building.

The presenter said an early bid package for stormwater retention was released and bids have returned; contracts are under review and “work to commence in about a month for the fall.” Staff told the board the project will clear and maintain on-site ponds so they hold and discharge as designed; Nexus agreed to confirm whether county road work nearby would affect site discharge.

On athletics, Nexus said the track-extension scope was shortened so it will not extend into wetlands and that finish-line adjustments will allow all events to use the same finish line. The team plans fencing repairs, resurfacing and miscellaneous track work; turf is planned for varsity baseball and softball infields, and the presenter said savings from turf work may allow adding a warning track.

Several board members pressed Nexus on options and life‑cycle cost trade-offs for tennis courts and court replacement versus repair. The presenter said the referendum budget covers resurfacing and crack repair and that the team is exploring longer‑life alternatives but that full replacement would exceed the carried budget.

Inside the building, Nexus presented a preliminary secure-entry sequence for the main office, interior finishes, mechanical and cooling upgrades, and reconfigured career and technical labs: the prototype/CAD labs were expanded; machining and welding labs were reworked with added ventilation and cooling; and culinary spaces were split into commercial and traditional foods labs with space allowed for a future cooler (the cooler is not part of the base scope).

On early sequencing, the presenter said the team is holding weekly construction-team coordination meetings and prioritizing critical items to reduce overall impact. The presenter told the board those coordination conversations will continue in the coming days and weeks as contracts are finalized.

Board members asked specific operational questions about daycare access, the planned maintenance building and material enclosures, the potential for drainage impacts tied to county work, and whether asbestos testing would be performed on existing structures; Nexus confirmed asbestos testing is part of existing‑building work.

The meeting closed with a motion to move into closed session; the motion was seconded and a roll call followed. The presenter said they will follow up with board members on outstanding questions about county drainage coordination and bid timing.

Next steps: Nexus said contracts for early stormwater work are under review and that on-site work is expected to begin in the fall, subject to contract finalization and permitting.