Board Aiming for Voter Support for Southern Door Schools

Survey and discussions encourage two referendum items for fall ballot

A survey this summer encouraged the Southern Door School Board and superintendent to continue pursuing a $14.9 million capital-improvement project as well as an operational-funding referendum.

The board met Aug. 8 to further discuss the survey results and to decide which construction, renovation and demolition projects to pursue. On Monday, Aug. 15, the board will formally vote on whether to place the operational and capital-projects referendum questions on the ballot this fall.

The midsummer survey “was a positive” indicator to the administration and board, Superintendent Chris Peterson said.

“We had a total of 992 responses – a 21% return rate, which the people who did the survey, School Perceptions, said was a very good rate for this time of year,” Peterson said.

The survey showed 63.5% support for a $975,000 referendum to keep school operations and employment steady.

“For the capital referendum, we had 49.5% support, and one-third were undecided,” Peterson said. “If we have just one-third of the undecided vote favorably, it would put us to 55.5%.”

Many undecided respondents indicated that they did not know exactly which – or how many – of the proposed renovation, parking lot and construction projects the board would pursue. Voters in the 65-and-older range – who don’t have children in school and have less direct contact with the school – made up 39% of the respondents.

“They’re the voters who we really count on to support referendums,” Peterson said.

During their working meeting Aug. 8, board members discussed which projects to pursue. The district is working with general contractor Miron Construction and Bray Architects this week to present a focused list and scope of capital-improvement projects to residents during the Aug. 15 board meeting.

Proposed projects include constructing a bus garage and greenhouse and creating an indoor fitness and training facility. Demolition of the district office – a house in front of the parking lot – would provide 141 parking spaces in front of the school instead of the current 61.

Other projects include renovations and reconfiguring art rooms and family-and-consumer education classrooms. The extent of classroom upgrades would depend on how much referendum money remained after the completion of the construction, demolition and parking lot projects.