Community surveys, outreach key
By Nicholas Ravnikar
Correspondent
More than a year after the Central High School District of Westosha approved a volunteer committee to investigate community support on a possible expansion project – including an auditorium without funding from the board – the committee faces costs that could run more than $13,000.
Costs include getting accurate project estimates and gauging public opinion.
The exploratory committee is turning its attention to gathering proposals from prospective design firms and exploring private funding sources – in order to get clear estimates for the community – before it starts seeking community input.
In an April 7 meeting last year, the school board endorsed the community study group to examine a potential Fine Arts Center. That group, composed mostly of residents as well as some school staff, was tasked with looking into design and cost for the proposed expansion, and also consideration of the likelihood of a referendum approval by voters.
Cost for the project and impact on taxes are the number one concern shared by the public, school board, administration and staff, according to former school board member John Holloway, who volunteered for the committee.
Holloway, who helped initiate the expansion, wants to inform the community before coming forward with a public opinion survey.
“We need to be prepared to demonstrate the desire and need for the space, its benefit to the students and the community, how much it will cost and how it will be paid for,” Holloway said. “The public makes its best decisions when they have as much information as possible.”
Estimates for the expansion – which included a 1,000-seat auditorium, more classrooms, practice space, a commons area with art exhibition space and a culinary arts kitchen – topped out at more than $7 million, according to school band director Adam Scheele.
But the estimate was only on projected square-feet, according to Holloway.
“What we found out is that information costs money,” he said.
Holloway noted that design firms, which often lump estimate costs into project totals if they get the bid, typically charge between $10,000 and $12,000.
“The committee is trying to do enough investigation and research so that we only end up with one estimate expense,” Holloway said, noting that the school board never authorized any funds for the expansion committee’s exploration. “We are looking into possible fundraising to offset the estimate cost.”
Since then, the committee has pared down what they hope to include in the project, Holloway explained, stating the school is unlikely to fund the first proposal, and have negotiated between affordability and desire.
“Creating a space that large will require a fairly major private contribution toward funding,” Holloway said. He noted that while securing private donors for the project remained a goal, it was far from a sure thing. “We cannot afford to be unrealistic.”
Holloway said that getting budget estimates from several design firms will give them more information to determine the likely outcome of a potential referendum.
After the estimates come in, Holloway said the group hopes to reconvene with the school board.
According to Scheele, the exploratory committee identified a potential architect and toured local schools, but never received approval from the school board on authorizing a survey.
Scheele said that after the committee – comprised of no current school board members – toured schools that included Kenosha Indian Trail High School and Academy, they learned Bray Architects designed most of the facilities.
Bray also designed Wilmot Union High School’s recent expansion.
“A lot of the schools we had contacted had gone with this architect,” Scheele said. “And they had fantastic things to say.”
At Bray’s recommendation, the committee approached School Perceptions, a consulting firm focused on studying school referenda based out of Slinger, who estimated the survey could cost $3,000, Scheele added.
While the band, choral and drama directors have informally discussed the topic of the expansion with audiences at student performances, Holloway said a consultation with a possible donor to the project who presides over a large local company helped him see the need to have details in place before a formal survey.
“Approaching the public has to be done correctly and only when prepared,” he said. “We are not at that point yet. I have talked to the president of a large company, who is prepared to be a donor, for advice. He told me ‘Don’t come to me with an idea or a concept. Come to me with a plan, how much it will cost and how you propose to pay for it. Then I will work with you.’”