Submitted by John Groh, District Administrator
SPRING VALLEY, WI – On April 1, 2025, electors in the School District of Spring Valley will have the opportunity to vote on two referendum questions. The outcomes of these votes will have lasting effects on our students and staff, and will shape the future of our district. Both ballot questions are the culmination of over two years of gathering information, listening, communicating and finally determining the next steps.
Question #1 will ask voters for support for essential upgrades to security, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, and some classroom updates along with the remodel or construction of an adequately spaced transportation building for our school buses and vans.
Question #2 asks for approval to make electrical and mechanical upgrades to Syverson Pool and construct an 8-lane competition track and field facility with a grass practice/Phy Ed field.
The process for identifying these priorities began in November 2022 when the Board approved a comprehensive facility study. Those results were shared publicly in April 2023. In December 2023 the Board hired Nexus Solutions as a long-term facility planning partner. District staff and the Nexus team have been actively working for over the past 14 months to research, inspect, and listen to users in each space and each program associated with the district. Areas in need of improvement were then shared with all residents this past fall through a community-wide survey. At the same time over 50 community members have participated in a facilities task force whose ultimate goal was to make a recommendation to the school board about priorities.
The community survey results were essential in guiding our next steps. The first two most supported projects were updates to the 1998 middle/high school HVAC and mechanical systems. The second most widely supported project addressed the bus garage built in the early 1960’s. The third most supported area was for Syverson Pool, also built in the early 1960’s. Finally, 58% of those surveyed showed high or medium priority to construct a track and field complex. The results of the community survey can be viewed on the school website by clicking on the “District Information” tab and then clicking on the “2024 Ten-Year Facility Plan.”
In recent years Wisconsin school funding has forced record numbers of school districts to turn to their communities to fund both operations and capital improvements. For example, in 2016 voters in Spring Valley approved a four-year referendum, which provided a total of $3.2 million. Those funds had two huge impacts. The first is it allowed the district to tackle large maintenance projects such as a new metal roof and new more energy efficient windows at the middle/high school. Besides major projects like these, those funds provided some breathing room for the district, which has been one of the lowest-funded out of the 421 districts in the state. This positive ripple effect has provided the funds in recent years to remodel the middle/high school library and weight room. This past summer most student and teacher furniture were purchased and replaced old and worn-out furniture, some of which was used at the old high school.
Spring Valley is an incredibly supportive community that prioritizes education and invests in its children. We are thankful for working hard to honor this trust by holding high standards for learning, singing, performing, and competing. We are also very grateful for the generosity of so many that volunteer and give back to the school district. If you or someone you know has the time, talent and resources and would consider a donation to go towards the projects listed in the referendum, please let me know.
Communication and information are vital to making an informed decision. Look for information in your mailbox over the next few weeks. You can also access referendum information and details on our school website. The community is cordially invited to attend the upcoming referendum talk and tour meetings. All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. The first two will take place at the Middle/High School library. The first meeting will be held on Monday, March 3, 2025, and the second meeting will be on Tuesday, March 11. Finally, a Facebook Live virtual meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 25. Please reach out to me directly if you have any questions.
“Get the facts, then vote.”
