Pulaski, WI – Voters served by the Pulaski Community School District approved both of the district’s referendum questions on the Nov. 8 ballot. Preliminary unofficial results for question one were 6023 Yes to 5261 No, and 6605 Yes to 4641 No for question two.
The approval of question one will allow the district a $1,500,000 operating referendum increasing annually over five years to $1,900,000 to invest in a competitive compensation model to attract and retain staff and support and maintain programs and additional spaces.
The approval of question two will allow the district to invest up to $69,800,000 to address the increasing enrollment and districtwide needs:
- Outgrowing elementary schools
- Renovate and expand Sunnyside and Hillcrest elementary schools
- Aging buildings, safety, and security
- Replace and update heating / ventilation and electrical; replace asphalt parking lots and hard surface play areas; reconfigure the bus and car pick-up / drop-off areas
- Classrooms and support areas in need of improvement
- Update interior and exterior building finishes, expand the high school’s career / Tech Ed space
The successful referendum follows two years of facilities planning, including a facilities assessment, a community survey, and numerous community engagement sessions.
Heidi Melzer, School Board President, shared, “The Pulaski Community School District staff, administration, and School Board share their sincere appreciation with the community for their support. This referendum will significantly impact its ability to maintain quality educational programs, services, and opportunities for students – and the community – for years to come”.
“The passing of the referendum provides us with the opportunity to support the growth that is occurring within our elementary schools, working on our aging buildings, safety and security, and other updates.” said Mark Logan, Director of Business Services of the Pulaski Community School District.
Superintendent Allison Space stated, “Thank you to the Pulaski community for the support on the operational question, which allows us to attract and retain high-quality staff and educators for our district with competitive compensation to support our 3800 plus students. We also appreciate the commitment to providing support for our district growth, capacity concerns, and building needs for safety, security, and maintenance.”
Design of the approved referendum work will begin immediately. Most of the work will take place at Sunnyside Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, and Pulaski High School; however, all buildings will receive updates and improvements to major building systems and improved site safety. The preliminary schedule calls for the improvements to start in the spring of 2024.
The district added that they will continue to engage and inform the community throughout the next steps of the process. Community members are encouraged to continue to visit the district’s website at www.pulaskischools.org for updates. Questions can be emailed to referendum@pulaskischools.org or directed to the district office at 920.822.6001.