What was proposed in the Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah School referendum?

LAKE ELKHART, Wisc. — Neglected locker rooms, dilapidated gymnasiums and rusty lockers are just the tip of what needs updating and replacing in the Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah School District.

I toured the schools with district administrator Adam Englebretson, who pointed out problem areas on the Resorter campus.

“Our school district has not had a referendum on infrastructure in 36 years,” he noted.

“This is a process that the school board has been working on for the last two years and has really done its due diligence … looking at the most pressing areas of concern and then addressing those issues.”

The district has been debt-free since April. Now he’s asking voters for approvalReferendum worth $39.6 million this election cycle.

All electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems require replacement.

Some teachers I met said it was difficult to conduct a class amid the loud hum of the outdated air conditioning.

“It can be really loud and you can’t hear people talking,” explained fifth-grader Adalind Stecker.

“It’s very hot,” added another fifth-grader, AJ Tegen. “Windows must be open 24/7… even in winter.”

Parent Mike Koehler knows this all too well. He also went to schools where he currently practices basketball.

“I don’t know if anyone is asking about the Taj Mahal specifically. We only ask for the support of voters,” he said.

The second main part of this referendum proposed building a middle school on the existing high school building so that students would not have to walk nearly 10 minutes to attend orientation classes.

“This transition requires additional time in the day that can be used to return to learning and start activities,” explained teacher and assistant principal of elementary and middle schools Chris Petrie.

In the winter, Tegen said, “It would be difficult to walk because sometimes the sidewalk isn’t cleared of snow.”

In a separate, future referendum, it was proposed to move the primary school from 1938 to the site of the junior high school and demolish the old building.

“I think our school teaches a lot and (shows) how well we behave,” Stecker said. He believes that the place where he studies should reflect this.

If the 2024 referendum passes, residents would pay $2.37 per $1,000 of their home’s value.

A home valued at $100,000 will be subject to property taxes of $237 per year or $19.75 per month.

“We have a lot of school spirit,” Tegen insisted.

“I am an avid hiker,” Koehler agreed. “I want to see what is best for the school and the community.”

Find out where to vote, what’s on your ballot and more on the TMJ4 elections page here.

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