$23.5 million in projects includes upgrades at all district schools
By Daniel Schoettler
Sports Correspondent
The Whitewater Unified School District is proposing a referendum that will improve buildings throughout the district and will be up for a vote on the Nov. 8 ballot. The referendum is for $23.5 million.
The board passed resolutions regarding the referendum at a special session meeting of the Whitewater Unified School Board on Aug. 17. The board has been trying to put this referendum together since last fall with help from the J.P. Cullen construction management firm, Epstein Uhen Architects and the Robert W. Baird firm.
At Lincoln Elementary School, the referendum would fund an addition of a new gymnasium and multi-purpose space. The addition of more physical education space at the high school is also included in the referendum.
“All the projects coming forward have been identified through a year and a half project,” District Administrator Mark Elworthy said Monday. “These are the projects that were approved for the referendum or were identified as the most important.”
Within all the schools in the district, updates will include main entrance security upgrades, traffic or site circulation, safety improvement, fire alarm system upgrades and the addition of fire sprinklers. The renovation and equipping of classrooms, libraries, art, band or music spaces and cafeteria modifications will also be included in the improvement of all the schools in the district.
“Safety and security, ADA compliance, and some capital updates we could not accomplish in an annual budget,” Elworthy said.
Other items at each school will either be repaired or replaced including roofs, masonry, pavement, flooring, walls, ceilings and classroom cabinetry.
The improvement of restrooms and accessibility upgrades and repairs to entrances, ramps and walkways – if the referendum is passed – will be done at every school but the high school.
For more information visit the district’s website at wwusd.org. Near the bottom of the homepage select “WUSD Facilities Planning” to be taken to a page with numerous links related to the referendum including community survey and workshop results, presentations, a timeline and key project drivers.
