Board approves $97.5 million referendum package, including $4.4M athletic allocation

The Waunakee Community School District board voted to send a $97.5 million capital referendum to the November 2026 ballot after a motion to adopt that total passed during the meeting.

Administrators recommended option 3 as the basis for the vote but reduced the package from a $99.5 million survey figure to $97.5 million by reallocating project elements and applying potential clean-energy rebates. The capital plan would demolish the oldest portions of the high school and add a two-story addition, with additional work on south-building spaces and outdoor athletic facilities. The district set aside up to $4.4 million for athletic projects; no specific athletic scope was committed pending a third-party assessment by Rettler, which will produce a prioritized list of work.

Ellie (speaker 7), presenting the budget and referendum materials, said the administrative recommendation was a four-year, recurring operational referendum option for the district's compensation system and separately outlined the capital options. "This would be recurring or permanent funding," she said of the operational proposal, which would continue the $2.1 million in expiring funds and is proposed to sustain competitive compensation across employee groups.

On clean-energy elements, staff proposed approximately $1 million toward high-school rooftop solar and roughly $2 million toward a partial geothermal system; those allocations were part of the adjustments used to reduce the referendum total. The presenters said the district expects an IRS clean-energy rebate and may use rebate proceeds or interest earnings to offset costs.

Board members pressed for clarity about the athletic allocation. One board member said the $4.4 million is an upper allocation that the district would not be obliged to spend in full: consultants and staff noted the $8 million contingency and options to pare scope, use interest earnings or apply savings discovered in contracting. "We would get our analysis from Rettler and then be able to decide what we want to do within that budget," a district presenter said.

A motion to adopt the $97.5 million package was made and seconded. The chair conducted a roll-call vote and the motion passed. The board directed staff to work with bond counsel and bring a resolution and updated financial plan to the August budget committee and the full board. Staff said a revised 2026-27 levy will be presented in August pending the rebate discussion and the financial-plan update from PTMA.

Next steps: staff will commission Rettler's athletic-facilities analysis, finalize the resolution language with bond counsel, present the updated financial plan to the budget committee in August, and begin referendum communications and outreach once the board approves the resolution.

Votes at a glance

Motion: Accept the $97.5 million referendum figure, incorporating the athletic park allocation as depicted. Mover: board member (speaker 2). Second: board member (speaker 6). Outcome: approved. Tally: yes 5, no 1 (voice/roll-call as recorded).