For Immediate Release
January 19, 2021
Contact: Diane Tremblay, District Administrator | 715-537-5612
Board of Education Unanimously Supports Resolutions to go to Referendum
BARRON, WI – At the January 18 Barron Area School District Board of Education Meeting, the Board unanimously voted to place two referendum questions on the April 6, 2021 ballot. Residents of the Barron Area School District will have the opportunity to vote on two questions that will address immediate needs in all schools.
For more than a year, the District has been working to develop a comprehensive long-range facility plan that ensures that the classrooms and support areas meet the needs of the Barron Areas School District students and community, both today and for years to come. The referendum solution is the result of staff and community feedback. A Focus Group, comprised of staff, parents and community members was formed to identify needs and explore solutions. In October, all District residents had the opportunity to provide feedback through a community-wide survey. Results from the survey and Focus Group feedback was compiled to form a recommendation that was shared with the Board in December.
Question 1 asks voters for approval to borrow $24,500,000 to pay for safety and security upgrades, district-wide capital maintenance projects and additions and renovations to support educational programing. Question 2 asks voters for approval to borrow $1,900,000 to construct an addition at Woodland Elementary School for a community childcare center.
“This process stemmed from our 12 pillars of education. We set out to create a long-term facilities plan, to help us build a roadmap to maintain our facilities and provide appropriate and inspiring spaces for students,” said Diane Tremblay, District Administrator. “We have learned a lot throughout this process and are excited to share our referendum plan with the community. We feel that it addresses our most immediate building needs and provides greater opportunities for our students for generations”
“The community survey was an essential tool in our planning process,” said Andrew Sloan, Director of Finance. “When we started this process, we identified around $50 million of needs, our Focus Group was able to prioritize the needs to about $30 million. Then in the community survey, respondents indicated that they would support a referendum and likely around $25 million. Therefore, we used the priorities of the survey and the Focus Group to build this referendum solution.”
The District is planning a 12-week information campaign with a goal to educate all Barron Area School District residents on the needs and the proposed solutions. Two referendum mailings outlining the details of the proposed solution will be mailed to all District residents in February and March. In addition, informational meetings are planned for interested families and community members. For additional information, please visit the District website (www.barron.k12.wi.us) or contact the District Office at 715-537-5612.
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