In 2019, the district commissioned a facilities study that focused on its buildings and mechanical systems. The study included a review of major building components, such as boilers, air handlers, electrical systems, plumbing, windows, and roofs. A facilities advisory committee was created consisting of close to 30 community members, district leadership, and the School Board to evaluate facility needs and identify priorities for the community's consideration. The FAC met eight times in 2020-21 and spent hundreds of hours reviewing the district’s facility needs and considered eight possible options, including maintenance-only upgrades.

Although the district has an annual maintenance budget, grants, donations, and sponsorships have been used to offset the expenses of smaller projects, the costs for larger facilities-related items across the district exceed the ability to address them within the scope of the annual budget. To address the cost of many of the items outlined in the facilities plan and take advantage of historically low-interest rates, the district would need permission from the community in the form of a facilities referendum. 

The Board of Education, with input from the facilities advisory committee, is considering solutions to high-priority challenges and opportunities, using a phased approach to address the items included in the long-range master plan. 

Overall, SDFA facilities are well maintained and smaller projects have consistently been addressed due to investments made from the annual operating budget, the 2006 referendum for geothermal in four (4) buildings, and utilization of reserve funds. Phase 1 work is currently in progress and Phase 2 of the strategic facilities plan is currently under consideration.

Phase 1 - School Board approved in April 2021 and includes: 

• Upgrades to lighting, boilers, HVAC equipment, plumbing, pool equipment, clocks, and addresses urgent maintenance items outlined in the facilities study. 
• Work is being completed without an increase to taxpayers through leveraging energy savings and the annual operating budget.

Phase 2 - New Middle School, secure entrances at ALL district buildings, and urgent maintenance at elementary schools:

• The facilities needs study indicated more than $10 million would need to be spent on maintenance at the current middle school over the next 10-plus years just to keep it open. 
• Current middle school was originally built in 1911 and serves approximately 650 students. 
• Current middle school lacks collaboration spaces, flexible areas, and small group spaces. Schools today need a variety of learning environments to best support our students' needs.

The District is considering building a new middle school on property it owns that is between the current high school and MATC. This would result in cost-savings to taxpayers as we would not be purchasing new land, and a sharing of specialty educational facilities (tech ed, autos, theater, etc.). The land where the current middle school is located would be returned to a natural state and would remain in district ownership.

In addition, shared resources, facilities, and teachers between the high school and middle school would be extremely beneficial for our students. This campus approach would also open doors to extended community partnerships to help improve teaching and learning within our schools, and our community.

Schools today need the flexibility to provide a variety of learning environments while maintaining supervision to hands-on work areas, small group instruction, and large-group collaboration areas. These spaces also help prepare students for the real-life environments they will experience beyond graduation and in the workforce.  

Besides safety and security upgrades at every building, each of the four elementary schools would have urgent needs addressed, such as ADA accessibility, along with exterior repairs such as persistent roof leaks and rusted doors and frames.

Since 1994, Wisconsin school districts have been funded by a combination of state aid and local property taxes.

Each school district in Wisconsin has a revenue limit created by the state budget. This limit caps the amount of money a district can receive through state aid and local property taxes.

A district’s revenue limit is directly linked to two things: enrollment and state-approved adjustments. As a result of recent gradually declining enrollment in the School District of Fort Atkinson and minimal state adjustments, the revenue limit has not kept pace with increasing inflationary costs and imposed unfunded mandates.

In Wisconsin, school boards can present an operational referendum to voters in the community. If passed, an operational referendum allows the district to raise its revenue limit authority. In Fort Atkinson, we are grateful to be operating under referendums approved by voters in 2006, 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2020. The 2020 referendum was for a total of $5.25 million, of which $3 million expires in June of 2023. During this time, the district has made an effort to control property tax increases, reallocate existing funds, and improve programs and services. However, like many districts, the School District of Fort Atkinson will again need to turn to the voters as the 2020 referendum expires. 

Until Wisconsin school funding methods change, the use of operating referendums will continue to be necessary to avoid drastic cuts in programs and services. For example, in the 2021-23 State Biennial Budget there is no revenue limit or per-pupil aid increases granted to public schools during these two years.

The board continues working to balance the tradition of the district against constantly changing financial times and strategic improvements to meet the needs of our students and the desires of our community. An operational referendum is one choice the community could make so that cuts in programming would not need to be made.