SHAWANO, WI- A new Middle School appears to be the wish of the Shawano School District and the voters may be asked to approve around $93 million in a referendum. After months of research, discussions, and weighing out options, the Shawano School Board and Hoffman Planning, Design and Construction, have made some recommendations for the public and voting community to consider.

“This is where the district wants to go eventually, but how we get there, that is what needs to be decided.”

Originally, the Shawano School board was presented with 11 different options and it was narrowed down to one big proposed plan after a board workshop. Jody Andres of Hoffman presented the proposed plan on Monday. “We are going to keep Olga Brener as a 3rd through 5th facility and demolish the current middle school,” Andres said. “We are going to build a new middle school that is attached to Olga Brener.”

The plan also includes adding a daycare at Hillcrest and moving the high school Achievement Academy from Olga Brener to the High School.

Andres said the Olga Brener and the Middle School would be two separate schools, but it would have shared space, including the library which would be at Brener and a satellite location at the new middle school. Andres said some support staff offices would be at Brener and the administration area that would have two separate entrances, but would be at the new middle school, which Andres said would save space. The other idea would be to move Community Education from the Middle School to Olga Brener. “With these schools being on one site, you can have a consolidated and expanded location for drop-off and pickups.”

Other plans for the 93.1 million dollar budget would be expanding the playground and fixing the lighting at Hillcrest Primary School. Along with the daycare addition, Hillcrest updates are projected to cost just over 5.1 million. About $4.3 million dollars are set for Olga Brener for infrastructure updates and lighting. $22.7 million dollars would be for the high school for space for performing arts and tech ed. The new space would include a music performance and theory room, a recording studio, new auditorium seating and an orchestra pit.
Building a new fitness center is projected at $7.2 million dollars and the new middle school would take up a majority of the budget at $53.6 million dollars.

“The existing middle school would still operational until the new one is built,” Andres said.”

The other options that are not included in the 93.1 million dollar budget would include updating the current aquatic center for just over $5 million. The High School would have the option for a new track and field event space; new synthetic turf football  and soccer field, a new 2,000 seat grandstand with pressbox and storage as well as a new entry plaza and concessions  and restroom facility for just over $9 million and remolding the current fitness center for $2.3 million more.

“If you wanted to do this with zero tax impact and do it in a phased approach, the new middle school would get you to that level pretty much on its own,” Andres said. “That’s a big price ticket and we need to have a conversation about this.”

Preliminary estimates indicate that the $93 million project could cost taxpayers $1.60 to $1.70 per $1,000 of equalized valuation. Shawano School District residents should expect a survey this fall.