FAQ

Given the community’s feedback that the 100-year old River View building no longer meets the needs of our students, we believe investing additional funds into the current building is not fiscally responsible. If we continue to delay the construction of a new middle school, the District will need to address immediate capital maintenance needs at River View despite this being a short-term solution. 

Additionally, due to rising construction costs and inflation, postponing aspects of this plan will result in higher costs while facility needs remain unresolved. For example, if the District waits to build a new middle school even four more years, the cost of this project alone is projected to increase by $45 million if delayed from a November 2024 to November 2028 referendum vote.

The district is proposing to build a new middle school rather than a new high school for several reasons. First, the cost of constructing a new high school is significantly higher due to the overall size and specialized spaces required for high school programming such as certain tech ed spaces, culinary arts, fitness center, indoor athletic facilities, and outdoor athletic fields. We have these important elements in our existing high school and would not want students to lose access to them; recreating these spaces in a new building would be expensive in today’s market, and might not offer any significant improvements over the existing facilities.  Additionally, converting the current high school to accommodate middle school needs would involve renovation costs as well, potentially driving the total expense of the comprehensive facilities plan (including work at our elementary schools) to nearly $300 million.

From a building efficiency perspective, some areas in the current high school exceed the needs of a middle school, such as certain tech ed spaces, culinary arts, the fitness center, and our indoor practice facility. Meanwhile, these spaces would be underutilized for middle school purposes. Additionally, the current high school already has all necessary athletic amenities on-site, which would be inefficient and costly to duplicate elsewhere.

Because of these reasons, constructing a new building that is specifically designed for middle school students is a more fiscally responsible and practical choice, aligning better with our community’s feedback.

The decision to build a new middle school rather than renovate River View Middle School stems from several key challenges that make renovation on site less feasible. In 2019, the district proposed a renovation plan as part of a district-wide referendum solution, but it was voted down by the community. Since then, we have continued to evaluate our facilities as part of our Future Strong Summit. Community feedback gathered over the past year indicates that residents believe RVMS no longer meets student needs, making further investment in the 100-year-old building a fiscally irresponsible solution.

River View Middle School sits on a very constrained site, leading to significant traffic congestion and safety concerns, especially during peak hours. The current site is less than half the recommended size for a school of its student capacity. At 15.3 acres, the site falls significantly short of the 31.2 acres recommended for a middle school serving this many students. The site is essentially landlocked between the river and our downtown area. Adequate site size is essential to support middle school physical education programs, provide sufficient outdoor play space, and to ensure safe and efficient traffic flow, including clear separation of bus and parent traffic.

Furthermore, the school has already been expanded multiple times since its original construction in 1922, with additions in 1936, 1951, 1963, 1970, and 2000. These various additions have created multiple floor elevations throughout the building, resulting in accessibility challenges that make it difficult to meet ADA requirements and provide accessibility for all students. The building lacks a secure main entrance approach designed to only allow visitors access to the main office to be checked in before entering the school further. Visitors using RVMS after school hours for community events, meetings or athletics can access the majority of the building because it cannot be compartmentalized or closed down in sections.

Additionally, from a teaching and learning perspective, the existing classrooms and common areas such as the gym and cafeteria are undersized, many lack access to natural light, and site lines within the building for supervision are extremely limited. The building lacks flexible learning spaces needed for modern, collaborative teaching and learning methods and to facilitate small and large group project work as well as space for quiet, focused learning. A new building would address these shortcomings by providing spaces that support today’s educational needs.

Finally, extensively renovating and expanding RVMS would require significant construction to occur during multiple school years while students and staff are actively in the building; this could potentially take even longer than building new on a separate site. While it can be done, this would be highly disruptive to learning, especially during the critical years in grades 5-8. It would be particularly challenging due to the small and restricted River View Middle School site.  For these reasons, the district feels strongly that the most logical, fiscally responsible way to move forward - with the least impact to students during the construction process -  is to build a new middle school rather than attempt to renovate and expand the current 100+ year-old building.

If a new middle school is constructed, it would no longer be financially viable to retain the existing River View building as part of the Kaukauna Area School District. Following a successful referendum, the district will consider all potential options for repurposing the property. This may include selling the building, exploring other community uses and partnerships for the building and site, and/or, if necessary, removing the structure. If the community approves the referendum in November 2024, the school will continue to be used by students, staff, and community for three to four years while the new school is being constructed. The district is committed to a thorough and transparent process for researching and evaluating all available options. 

The current River View Middle School site is less than half the recommended size for a school of its student capacity. At 15.3 acres, the site falls significantly short of the 31.2 acres recommended for a middle school serving this many students. The site is essentially landlocked between the river and our downtown area. These are limitations that cannot be addressed through a comprehensive building renovation, and it impacts our ability to expand on site as well. Adequate site size is essential to support middle school physical education programs, provide sufficient outdoor play space, and to ensure safe and efficient traffic flow, including clear separation of bus and parent traffic.

The District is currently working to address issues related to access to the proposed middle school site, including traffic management on Highway 55, safe walking routes, and bussing logistics. While plans will not be finalized until after the November 5th referendum, the district has already taken some initial steps to thoroughly evaluate and assess safe access in and around the proposed middle school site. Here's an update on what this process will involve:

1. Site Investigation and Detailed Design Phase: If voters approve the referendum, the District will immediately initiate an extensive design phase that includes site investigations, independent traffic studies, and consultations with multiple local and state agencies such as the Town of Buchanan, the City of Kaukauna, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), FEMA, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Safe Routes to School organization. This process will inform how we proceed with access, safety, and traffic management.

2. Construction Timeline and Approvals: Only after a successful referendum will the detailed design phase and site investigations begin. This process will take over a year, with construction anticipated to take an additional two years once all necessary approvals are granted.

3. Planned Entrance/Exit Points: The initial plan outlines two proposed access points—one at Highway 55 with a controlled intersection, such as a roundabout or traffic lights, and another connecting to the High School property and Loderbauer Road. Final decisions on these points will depend on the outcomes of the studies conducted during the design phase.

4. Evaluation of Traffic and Site Access: Plans under consideration include adding a controlled interaction on Highway 55, such as a roundabout, traffic light, etc., and exploring the construction of another tunnel under CE, similar to the existing ones near Tanner, Quinney, and NDLC. Additionally, the district will work with the Safe Routes to School organization to help ensure that there is safe and equitable access in and around the middle school site. These measures aim to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety.

5. Bus Routes and School Start Times: Adjustments to bus routes and possible changes to start times for the middle and high schools will be considered after the referendum. These adjustments aim to optimize transportation, reduce bussing costs, and reduce congestion, but any decisions will be made during the design phase with input from traffic studies and community feedback.

6. Budget and Next Steps: The costs for traffic improvements, site investigations, and safety measures are already accounted for in the referendum budget. However, these steps cannot proceed without voter approval. No final decisions will be made before the referendum, ensuring that community input and thorough studies guide the final plans.

If the referendum is successful, the district will explore options and potential partnerships for after school programming at the new middle school if there is enough interest from families for those services.

If voters approve a referendum on November 5, 2024, we anticipate the new school to open in summer of  2028. The timeline depends on several important factors, and the detailed architectural and site design process has not yet begun prior to voter approval. Should the referendum pass, we will immediately initiate the design phase. This phase will involve collaboration with stakeholders—such as district leadership, staff, and students—to ensure the design meets the district's needs, vision, and budget.

The timeline will be impacted by various factors, including the complexity of design decisions, site and traffic analysis, and permitting requirements, all of which are critical to the success of the project. We will conduct thorough site assessments and navigate the necessary approval processes through multiple state and local agencies, which can sometimes introduce unexpected challenges.

However, we will actively seek ways to expedite the process and aim for a potential opening in August  2027, with a final decision on when we can open made during the design phase in 2025.

Construction is expected to take approximately 22 months after all design, approvals, and public bidding is complete.  Any delays could require us to use the original summer 2028 timeline. We will pursue every opportunity to accelerate the timeline and keep the community updated on any developments once the project is approved and design can officially begin.

The capacity of the proposed middle school is designed for 1,200+ students. At this size, we will be able to accommodate normal fluctuations in the student population over time. We will monitor enrollment throughout the district as we continue working to retain KASD students in our school through a variety of strategies.

Yes, the district made some updates to River View Middle School, but it’s important to note the context of that investment and the community's ongoing feedback.

In 2017, the district used Wisconsin State legislation, known as Act 32, which allowed districts to borrow funds at a low interest rate for energy efficiency improvements. At that time, several Kaukauna schools, including River View Middle School, had urgent needs related to energy efficiency and aging systems. The district allocated $25 million from those funds to update the HVAC, electrical systems, doors, and lighting at River View, which were critical to keeping the building functional and reducing energy costs.

However, in 2019, the district proposed a more comprehensive renovation plan for River View to address many of the remaining academic and other identified facility challenges. This proposal was part of a district-wide referendum that sought a long-term solution for maintaining River View as the middle school for our community. Ultimately, the community voted down the referendum. Following the vote, we received feedback that residents believed it would be a better use of resources to purchase land and build a new school designed to fully meet the needs of students, rather than investing in significant renovations that would still leave the aging building and its site with several unresolved issues.

Since then, we’ve continued to gather input through our Future Strong Summit and other community engagement efforts about the future of our Kaukauna schools. The prevailing sentiment is that River View Middle School no longer meets the needs of our students, and additional investment in the building would not be fiscally responsible.

The decision to renovate Park Community Charter School rather than pursue a new location or new construction is based on several important factors that align with both the school’s educational model and the district’s long-term planning goals.

1. Unique Educational Model: A core element of Park Community Charter School’s curriculum is its place-based education model. Students engage with the community and participate in field studies directly connected to their local surroundings, including local businesses, city departments, and other community organizations. Park’s location in the heart of downtown Kaukauna is essential for maintaining this educational approach.
    

2. Long-Term Viability Through Renovation: Renovating Park Community Charter School ensures that the building will continue to serve students for many years. The updates will enhance the functionality of the existing structure, making it a sustainable solution for the district without the need for new construction.
    

3. Cost-Effectiveness: Constructing a new building or relocating the school would add significant cost to the long-range facilities plan. Renovations, when it comes to the specific needs of Park Community Charter School, are a more fiscally responsible approach, as they preserve the school’s current location while addressing its safety and security needs. In contrast, the needs at River View Middle School are very different from Park, and a renovation approach would not solve the middle  school's viability as our community’s middle school for the long-term. For more information on why the district chose not to renovate River View Middle School, please see the FAQ titled “Did the district consider renovating River View Middle School instead of constructing a new building?”

In summary, the district's choice to renovate Park Community Charter School instead of seeking a new location or constructing a new building is a decision grounded in maintaining the integrity of this specific school's educational model while being mindful of long-term sustainability and fiscal responsibility.

The district is adding 4K and 5K to Victor Haen Elementary for several important reasons. First, it reduces the number of transitions young students experience during their critical elementary years, providing them with a more stable and continuous learning environment. This consistency helps foster stronger relationships between students, teachers, and the school community, which is especially important for early childhood development.

Additionally, by offering these grades at Victor Haen, more families can attend the school closest to their home, promoting a stronger connection between families and the school while also reducing transportation costs and time spent on buses for our youngest students. This change allows the district to better serve the community, streamlining our elementary school configuration and making it less confusing for families.