District to begin work on community survey

After last week’s final community listening session and gathering input from staff, the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District will develop a community survey over the next few months scheduled to be launched in fall.

On May 19, Bray Architects, which was hired by the district to do a facility study, presented a small audience with some more refined cost estimates for upgrades to each building.

Clinton Selle, senior associate with Bray, said the district has maintained its buildings well.

“By no means should this be an indictment on the district. They’ve done a lot of great work,” he said.

Work at the elementary and middle school building ranges from $2.9 to $3.1 million and includes paving parking lots and sidewalks, stormwater and utility work, playground equipment and surfacing and basketball hoops.

One of the well-known issues is the traffic patterns for dropping off and picking up students at both schools.

One staff member in the audience said on a rainy day cars take up both lanes and she can’t leave after school because she can’t back out of her parking spot.

Infrastructure work at the elementary school ranges from $3.4 to $3.6 million and includes renovating locker rooms currently used for storage into music rooms and adding an elevator and expanding the special education area.

Middle school infrastructure work is estimated to be $1.42 million to $1.49 million, which include updates to the auditorium and the pool, which is leaking 5,000 gallons of water per day and is at the end of its life.

Reconstructing the pool would cost about $2 million while building a new one is at least $10 million. Closing it is an option as well.

Renovating the auditorium runs about $1.5 million while a new facility will cost at least $7.6 million.

Infrastructure work at the high school is about $2.5 million and includes roof replacement, a new boiler system, classroom carpeting and heating, ventilating and air conditioning work. Technology upgrades run about $750,000 more.

Renovating the technical education area costs about $1.8 million.

A new competition soccer field ranges from $1.28 million to $1.49 million.

Turf for the football field is $1.2 million, and track resurfacing is another $750,000.

The district has hired Fond du Lac-based C.D. Smith, which often works with school districts, as its construction management firm.

The School Board will work with Slinger-based School Perceptions on a community survey that Supt. Chad Brakke said “lays out the facility needs of the district and captures what the community feels are our highest priorities.” The district will work with Bray and C.D. Smith to find cost-effective solutions to facility issues.

Depending on results of the community survey, the district could go to referendum next April.

To see the PowerPoint of the listening session’s presentation, visit www.cedargrovebelgium.k12.wi.us.