Existing Site Use Limitations

If the community does not support the purchase of new land at the next Meeting of Electors, which will likely take place in July (time and date to be determined), the District would then need to reuse the existing land the current high school sits on.  This brings unique limitations for students, staff, families, and the community.

Executive Summary - Using Existing Site

At the June 12, 2023 Board of Education meeting, CG Schmidt presented an Executive Summary outlining the estimated costs to build a new high school on the existing site.  It is important to note that the existing site would be approximately 45 acres, 25 acres less than the B&S property located near Northside Elementary School, and would not be large enough to have all of our outdoor athletic teams practice and play on-site.  This would also mean that there is less opportunity for expansion on the existing site to accommodate future needs.

Total Project Cost Comparison

At the June 12, 2023, Board of Education meeting, CG Schmidt provided a Total Project Cost Comparison which compares the cost to build a new high school on the B & S site, the existing site, and the previously considered County Hwy DR (Donny) site.  Building on the 70-acre B & S property has the lowest total cost at $93,374,231.  $226,209 less than the cost to build at the current high school location.

Conceptual Drawing - Using Current High School Location

Below is a conceptual drawing of how a new school and facilities might be placed on the existing site.  This is only a concept. The actual design phase can not begin until a land purchase is approved or denied at a Meeting of Electors. 

The Board of Education then received further clarification from Allison Buchanan of Quarles and Brady LLP at the May 24th, 2023 Special Board of Education meeting which is available for viewing by clicking here.  All Board of Education meetings are livestreamed and available for viewing by visiting the School District of Monroe YouTube Channel here. 

How will on-site construction affect our schools, students, staff, and community?
We believe there will be a significant negative impact on our students and staff at both the high school and Abraham Lincoln as they attempt to learn/work in a construction environment.  We are working hard to improve our test scores, instruction, and curriculum.  Almost three years of construction will likely negatively impact our student outcomes for years to come. 

During the three years of construction, our students, staff, and community will be impacted by noise, safety issues, delays, distractions, construction debris/dust, etc.  In the densely populated neighborhood surrounding the area, street parking will become an issue and roads will be affected since there are no major roads/direct routes to the construction site from Hwy 69.

What student extra-curricular activities will be disrupted by construction on the current site while school is in session?
As a District, we believe all extra-curricular activities are an extension of the learning environment.  For many students, participation in extra-curricular activities is an incredibly important part of their school experience and positively affects their mental health and well-being, providing purpose and passion. 

Many sports including Football, Boys and Girls Soccer, Track, Baseball, and Boys and Girls Tennis will need to relocate their practices and competitions at some point during the construction timeline as the new school building will need to be built behind the current facility where the football field, track, and tennis courts are currently located. We will need to find alternative sites for practices and competitions, our practice and game times will be dictated by availability, and students will need to be bused to alternate facilities which will increase costs. There will be added loss of revenue from home game ticket sales and concessions. In addition, our Physical Education instruction will be impacted by limited outdoor access. These activities would be impacted for approximately 3 years as the new school is constructed, the old facilities are demolished, and new athletic facilities are built.

For more information on the protective factors of youth participation in extra-curricular activities, please read the 2021 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Study that was recently released by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Click here to view the 2021 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Study

What is the construction timeline for a build on a new site versus the existing site?
Below is a graph that compares the construction timeline to build a new high school and facilities at the existing site and to build a new school and facilities on a new site.  In both options, there is a design phase of 9 months and we expect to break ground in Spring 2024, with an anticipated 20 months of construction for Phase 1.

If we were to build on the existing site, Phase 1 would only include the construction of the new high school.  The outdoor extra-curricular facilities could not be completed until Phase 4, after move-in to the new building and demolition of the existing building.  The project would not be completed until Fall/Winter of 2026.  Building on the current site extends the construction timeline by a year which will affect 2-3 seasons of Spring and Fall sports as the current location of the football fields, tennis courts, baseball, and soccer fields would become the location of the new high school building (see Conceptual Design above). 

If we build on a new site, Phase 1 would include both the construction of the new high school and all outdoor extra-curricular facilities. Move-in/occupancy could take place during Winter 2025 and the new school would open in Spring 2026.