Table of Contents BRF School District Community Survey Final Draft School Facilities Survey Black River Falls Final Report Press Release 1-13-09 Ad hoc Facilities Committee Recommended Charge Special meeting-Presentation 2-2-09 Contingency Options Facilities Final Rec to Board 3-31-09 BRF Press Release 4-21-09 Referendum Timeline Frequently Asked Questions 1989-2007 County Birth Data Elementary Enrollment Projections Insights: Referendum Edition Voting Information Financial Data Sheet

The basement is home to storage and storage rooms converted to classrooms.

As one wall falls away from the building, cracks are left behind as evidence.  The crack pictured is wide enough to drop a pencil through from one floor to another.

June 9, 2009 Referendum

About the referendum

On June 9, 2009, there was school referendum.  This referendum asked voters for support to build a new elementary school that will house grades 1-5 and build an addition to Forrest Street Early Learning Center.  The school board arrived at this decision through a careful and thoughtful strategic planning process spanning two years.  The following is the timeline of events within that process.  

Timeline of strategic planning events leading to the referendum:  

HSR & Associates – Facility Study & Report
January 2007

School Perceptions, LLC – Community Facility Survey
November 2008

School Perceptions Report – Recommendations
January 2009

Ad hoc Facility Study Committee
February 2009

Recommendations from the Ad hoc Committee 
April 2009

Decision to go to Referendum    
April 20, 2009

Referendum voting date
June 9, 2009  

This two-year comprehensive planning process provided a thorough evaluation of our school facilities.  Seeking and gathering input from community members was been a very important part of this process. 

The School District of Black River Falls has attempted referendums in the past, with the most recent attempts in 2001.  In 2001, there were three referendums attempted, with one attempt each in April, September and December.  Each of these referendums failed.  It was clear in 2001 that the public did not support these proposals.     

As part of this planning process and to obtain the needed and valuable input from our community members, a facility survey was developed over a period of about six months in 2008.  This survey was mailed to all residents of the school district in November 2008.   People were given the choice to either complete the survey online or mail the completed paper survey directly to School Perceptions, the firm who developed the survey.  The input received from community members from this survey has provided a foundation for this referendum proposal.   

Circumstances have changed significantly for our school district since 2001.  We are growing in our lower elementary grades.  Currently, utilizing the best enrollment projection models available, we anticipate an increase of 90-100 in the elementary grades in the next five years.  We are currently at full capacity.  We have no more space available in our current three elementary buildings.  Furthermore, expansion or adding space our current elementary buildings is either limited or not feasible.   

The referendum plan provided for a single 30 acre campus for all of our elementary students located on land next to and including the Forrest Street Early Learning Center.  The additional land included in this plan was to be made available to the school district through gifts and the purchase of two homes.   This plan would solve all of our elementary space issues while providing other benefits as well.  For example, having one elementary campus would reduce the amount of time students are traveling on a bus before and after school between buildings, providing students more time in the classroom.  The new facility would provide up-to-date technology for learning.  The new building would be more energy-efficient, which would save money on operational costs.  This plan provided for better efficiencies while providing our elementary students a better learning environment.  This plan fully addressed the elementary space needs of our school district.   

The process of this referendum has been a comprehensive process that has taken over two years to complete.  Many people, including community members, parents, school staff and school board members, have spent countless hours developing and completing this plan.  The current school facilities will not provide adequate space necessary for the enrollments projected for the next five years in the lower elementary grades.  More space is essential. 

Our schools are the most important ingredient in sustaining and increasing our communities’ economic growth and development. Improving the learning environment for our students by building a new school building that will include the needed space and essential upgrades in technology while also providing improved efficiencies of operation and services will yield better results for our students.  

As one class comes in to use the computer lab, another must leave the Gebhardt LMC early, cutting short their browsing time and rushing book selections.	Having outgrown the confines of the area that serves as traditional library space and computer lab, part of the Gebhardt LMC reference area was pushed into the hallway.
Stairs are a particularly difficult feature of Third Street for those with disabilities.	Students temporarily needing to use crutches are left to be carried from floor to floor.	Gebhardt's portable houses music and art classes.