Colfax school board reviews first concept plan for proposed $7.2 million referendum projects

COLFAX  —  New classrooms to replace the temporary classrooms at Colfax Elementary could be constructed on the north side of the building if voters approve a $7.2 million referendum question in November.

Tom Twohig of SDS Architects presented the first concept plan for the proposed construction projects at the Colfax Board of Education’s August 15 meeting.

Items that will be part of the $7.2 million referendum question in November include replacing temporary classrooms for $1.4 million; building infrastructure for $2.2 million; a bus maintenance building for $750,000; technical education and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) expansion for $1.2 million; improving safety and security for $650,000; and district bus replacement for $600,000.

In addition to the construction items and the buses, the referendum question will include $400,000 to pay off the school district’s unfunded pension liabilities.

If the new classrooms were built on the north side of the elementary school, the temporary classrooms could still be used, and construction could occur while school is in session, Twohig said.

The concept plan presented to the school board for the estimated $1.4 million project includes a 1,500 square-foot art room, which includes a kiln and storage, and three 1,400 square-foot classrooms.

Building the new classrooms off the north side of the elementary school would take up some of the existing playground space. On the other hand, putting the new classrooms where the temporary classrooms are now could interfere at some point in the future with a possible high school expansion, said Bill Yingst, district administrator.

Yingst noted that he has conducted several walk-arounds with Twohig.

“Nothing is etched in stone, and obviously, we need to pass the referendum first,” Yingst said.

Twohig noted that between now and November, he would continue to develop the concept plans and would be available for community listening sessions.

At the July meeting, the Colfax Board of Education approved contracting with SDS Architects out of Eau Claire for concept development and referendum support.

The contract amount for concept development is $2,700, and the contract amount for referendum support is $1,500.

High school office 

Another part of the possible referendum projects includes moving the high school office to the outside perimeter of the building for $650,000 to improve safety and security.

A vestibule would be created in the area of the existing doors so that people could come into the building but would have to go into the high school office first before being admitted to the high school, Twohig said.

The existing concessions area would be moved to the south side of the commons area to provide more room for the vestibule and would also open the entire commons area for improved line-of-sight, he said.

A reception area and conference room would be new construction added on to the east wall of the building, and the existing space would be turned into the principal’s office, work room, nurse’s office, toilet rooms and storage.

Although the bus maintenance building and the technical education/Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) expansion were part of the concept plan, Twohig did not present details about the remainder of the proposed projects.

Other business

In other business, the Colfax Board of Education:

• Learned that grades early childhood through sixth are expected to have 19 more students this year, for a total of 466, which compares to 447 students last year.

• Received a reminder that this is the first year Colfax High School will be offering Distance Learning classes to students. Psychology will be offered the first semester, and sociology will be offered the second semester.

• Learned that the open enrollment rate for the 2016-2017 school year will be $6,748 per student. The actual amount may change, but the final number will be close, Yingst said. The open enrollment rate represents the amount that Colfax would pay to other school districts per student for those who enroll out of the district as well as the amount Colfax would receive for students who open enroll into the district.  The special education open enrollment rate is expected be $12,000. Colfax, like many school districts, has not been accepting open enrolled special education students because of space availability, Yingst noted.

• Learned that the school district’s payment of exempt computer state aid for 2016 was $304. The payment is based on the 2015 value of tax exempt business computers in the Colfax school district. Yingst said the low amount of the payment is somewhat perplexing since other school districts in the area receive higher amounts. The amount is based on reporting by local businesses, and Yingst wondered if local businesses have not been reporting their equipment, which includes computers, software and fax machines. According to the DPI, Boyceville received $864, Elk Mound received $1,782 and Glenwood City received $937.

• Approved hiring Randy Risler as a bus driver for the Colfax school district.

• Approved hiring Kristi Marco for a three-hour per day position in the kitchen.

• Accepted the resignation of Ryan Krall as the boys junior varsity basketball coach.

• Approved hiring John S. Dickinsen II as the boys junior varsity basketball coach.

• Approved changing the speech and language teacher position from 50 percent to 60 percent.

• Approved the “notice of the student academic standards that is in effect for the 2016-2017 school year” pursuant to Wisconsin statutes 120.12(13)(b) and 118.(1g)(a).