District says construction nearly complete; pool management shifts after YMCA insurer change

District administrators told the Viroqua Area School District board that the major renovation project is substantially complete and that most new spaces are now in use, but one element — the west side elementary windows — will be delayed until next summer after repainting bids proved more expensive than full replacement.

Administration said painting bids came back “astronomical” and replacement bids were lower and offered better warranties and energy performance, so the team will bid replacement and schedule the work for a summer when students are not in session. Administrators said the existing window frames still have some life (an estimated 5–10 years), but the replacement was selected for efficiency and long‑term value.

On the community pool, administrators reported the YMCA informed the district that its new insurance carrier would not cover the facility under the existing management agreement. The district will convert the YMCA management contract into an advisory agreement; YMCA staff and presence will remain, and district staff will assume management duties. Administrators emphasized users should see no change to rates, hours, lifeguards or programming. “Nothing changes on the front end for the user,” the district administrator said.

Administrators noted the pool partnership exceeded initial expectations: the district had planned for roughly 800 “units” to sustain operations but has seen monthly usage in the 2,000–3,000 range recently. Officials said the change reduces a small monthly management fee the district previously paid and is not expected to have a material budgetary impact.

Next steps include issuing bids and scheduling the window replacement for summer, finishing punch‑list items for the renovation, and coordinating communications to pool patrons about the management transition.