Whitefish Bay school officials outline $156 million facilities referendum ahead of April vote

School district officials presented details of a $156 million facilities proposal to the Whitefish Bay Village Board on Feb. 16, laying out project scope, financing and a schedule ahead of an April 7 referendum.

The district plans to commit $20.4 million from existing funds and ask voters for the remaining $135.6 million in the referendum, the presentation said. Officials described the proposal as two primary components: roughly $67.9 million for building renovations — including sprinkler, HVAC, accessibility and pickup/drop‑off upgrades at Cumberland, Richards, Lidell and the high school — and about $67.7 million for a new three‑story middle school designed with flexible learning spaces and to preserve aspects of the site’s Veterans Memorial.

“Many of our vital HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems have surpassed their expected service life,” the district presenter said, noting that the middle school — originally built in 1918 — has had numerous additions and that renovating it could cost nearly as much as new construction.

The district’s handout shows an estimated tax impact example for a home assessed at $685,000; the presentation materials list a figure of roughly $148 (per the distributed form) under the district’s borrowing assumptions. Officials said their estimates assume two issuances paced to a roughly 21‑year borrowing profile and that they purposely used conservative interest assumptions when modeling costs.

Trustees questioned whether such large referenda will recur every 15–20 years and whether the capital work will create operating‑budget savings. District staff said the facilities plan reflects roughly 15–20 years of prioritized needs identified in a community survey; while some efficiencies (utilities, maintenance) are expected, staff said they have not yet quantified annual operating savings in dollar terms.

“Back in 2023 the board made a diligent effort to look at what our facilities plan is,” a presenter said, adding the district included project contingencies and inflation in cost estimates.

Officials also explained Wisconsin referendum mechanics to trustees: school districts operate under a revenue cap and generally must use a referendum to exceed that cap for debt; if approved, districts typically have up to five years to issue debt and may structure issuances to match local priorities. Presenters noted that because Whitefish Bay is relatively property‑wealthy, increased capital spending reduces some state aid, which affects the local levy calculations used in taxpayers’ projections.

Trustees asked about the district’s $20 million fund‑balance contribution. Staff replied the amount comes from three sources: a community service fund (mostly supporting Lidell), a long‑term capital improvement fund and the operating fund. Those reserves, staff said, are intended for planned capital spending and help produce economies of scale when larger projects are bundled.

Officials also announced public engagement opportunities preceding the referendum, including building tours and presentations: a high school tour and presentation on Feb. 17, events Feb. 19 (Lidell), Feb. 24 (Cumberland), March 4 (middle school), and an April 6 presentation the evening before the election.

What’s next: the district will host the scheduled tours and Q&A sessions and continue to post information — including a FAQ page and a project timeline — to its website and outreach channels ahead of the April vote.