School district announces referendum information sessions

Community information sessions related to the April 2 school referendum will be held at James Williams Middle School at 6 p.m. Feb. 28, the Rhinelander High School Library at 6 p.m. March 6 and 9 a.m. March 20 at the Hodag Dome.

On Nov. 20, the district’s board of education unanimously adopted a resolution to place a referendum question on the April 2, 2024 ballot. The resolution followed months of evaluating the existing high school and middle school facilities through a facility study, working closely with local business partners, and conducting a community-wide survey to gather feedback on potential solutions to address the district’s facility and educational needs.

If approved, the referendum question will allow the district to update and expand the high school and middle school technical education departments, as well as address other pressing needs at both schools. 

The question to appear on the ballot is as follows: “Shall the School District of Rhinelander, Oneida, Lincoln, and Langlade Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $26,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school building and facility improvement project consisting of: construction of additions and renovations at Rhinelander High School, including for technical education, classrooms and labs; construction of additions, renovations, safety, security and site improvements at James Williams Middle School, including for technical education and classrooms; district-wide capital maintenance, infrastructure improvements and accessibility updates; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?”

According to handout distributed by the district during a series of tech ed open houses held last fall, the Rhinelander High School portion of the project would:

• Create a dedicated space for home construction classes

• Add autos/small engine/marine shop course

• Relocate and expand the woodshop

• Renovate metal/welding/manufacturing shop

• Create a fab lab and robotics area

• Renovate existing science labs and 1958 restrooms

At James Williams Middle School the project would:

• Add tech ed classrooms

• Relocate and update existing tech ed and art classrooms

• Relocate and update the choir classroom

• Relocate and update family and consumer education classrooms

• Add special education classrooms

• Renovate existing offices/improve building security

• Improve bus pick-up and drop-off traffic flow

“Technical education courses allow students to design and create wood, metal and plastic products, learn to weld, fix cars, marine repair, and build houses,” the handout said.

Many of the existing classrooms and labs in both buildings haven’t been updated for decades (1958 and 1974 respectively) and students are increasingly interested in jobs in the technical sphere, district officials noted.

Student interest in tech courses has nearly doubled in the past two years, the open house attendees were told.

It was explained that all seventh-grade students are required to take a technical education course so that they have some exposure to potential careers in this sphere, but many are interested in delving further into topics like welding, home construction and robotics.

More information on the referendum can be found on the district website — https://www.rhinelander.k12.wi.us/district/referendum.cfm.

If the referendum passes, work on the improvements and additions would begin in the spring of 2025.