Another Krier grant comes at right time for district

Another grant from the Bruce Krier Charitable Foundation has come at the right time for a Northern Ozaukee School District facing financial challenges.

The $102,000 gift from the foundation named for the late owner of Krier Foods in Random Lake will be used primarily for new Ozaukee Elementary School playground equipment.

Planning for the renovation of the playground began two years ago, Director of Business Services Joshua McDaniel said.

“The old asphalt was cracked and needed to be replaced,” he said. “It was a question of whether to resurface the area, which would degrade quickly, or to create a long-term solution.”

The overhaul of the playground started June 1 with the excavation  and installation of new playground surfacing.

Completion of the initial phase is set for the end of July, allowing for the construction of the two log climber play areas before the start of next school year, according to a contract approved last week.

The cost of materials and fabrication of those play areas will use about $62,000 of the grant money.

The rest, McDaniel said, will be allocated to other projects related to the remodeling of the playground, which include the installation of new basketball hoops, swings, a concrete pad and grading and drainage work.

This is not the first time the district has received a grant from the  Krier Foundation, which has given it nearly $1 million dollars over the last seven years.

Supt. Dave Karrels told the School Board last week that the foundation  has been “outstandingly generous.”

McDaniel echoed that sentiment.

“We are very grateful to the Bruce Krier Foundation,” he said, adding that to start the playground project the district had to tap into its fund balance.

For the 2022-23 budget, the district approved a $300,000 deficit that will come out of fund balance.

That deficit will only increase in coming years as Covid-19 relief funds dry up, McDaniel said.

A referendum to temporarily exceed state levy limits was rejected by voters in April, leaving officials unsure of the future.

“Those (referendum funds) would have gone towards maintaining services,” McDaniel said.

The district is not planning to make immediate reductions to balance the budget, Karrels said shortly after voters rejected the referendum.

The district already cut $1.75 million from the budget over the previous four years, he said at the time.

“We are going to be coming back to voters with a future ask,” he said.

With the help of a $127,000 grant also from the Bruce Krier Foundation, the district began restoration work in 2022 of the Mark Montaba Nature Center behind the high school.

In 2021, the district launched a $3 million fundraising campaign for outdoor athletic activities, with the football field and running track being priorities.

“Our track right now is not usable,” Karrels said when the campaign started. “We have not hosted a track meet since 2016.”

That campaign, while still active, has only managed to garner a $350,000 contribution from the district and pledges of $100,000 from businesses.