Southern Door Posing Two Questions on Fall Ballot

To view the Southern Door School District’s conceptual plans, go to southerndoor.k12.wi.us/facilities_planning/conceptual_plans

The Southern Door School District board voted unanimously Aug. 15 to present school-district voters with two questions on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. 

The first question will be an operational referendum renewal to maintain current district programs and services. The second will be a capital referendum question to improve and upgrade the district’s current facilities. 

If approved, neither of these questions will increase the mill rate over current levels.

“The district has been fiscally conscious with taxpayer dollars in order to put us in a position to pass not only the $975,000 operational referendum, but also the capital referendum with no property-tax mill-rate increase over the current level,” said Superintendent Christopher Peterson. “In order to further position Southern Door as the ‘district of choice’ in Door County, we would like to continue what we started in 2018 and ensure that our facilities best serve today’s students and future Southern Door Eagles.”  

The improvements identified in the plan are district-wide needs that cannot be funded through the district’s annual operational budget. Stakeholder input, gathered through a community-wide survey, helped to shape the proposed project.

Project highlights include renovations to the elementary and middle school art rooms; improvements to the technical education, family and consumer education, and agriculture education areas; construction of an indoor multipurpose facility and expansion of the weight/fitness area; construction of a bus garage; and expansion of parking by relocating the district office. 

If voters approve the project, the district can borrow the required funds with no tax mill-rate increase for debt above the current level due to early debt repayment. This strategic approach allows the district’s mill rate to stay consistent for taxpayers while addressing facility needs one phase at a time. 

Additional details on the proposed project, including a preliminary, conceptual Southern Door County Schools site plan, will soon be available, with additional information coming from special mailings, informational presentations and school tours.

To find out more, contact Superintendent Christopher Peterson at 920.825.7311 or [email protected], or visit southerndoor.k12.wi.us/facilities_planning.