ADDRESSING OUR FACILITY NEEDS
Capital Referendum | April 1, 2025
INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE
The mission of the Whitewater Unified School District is to inspire and empower students to achieve excellence in a safe and innovative educational environment. To fulfill that mission, continued investments are needed to ensure our students have the resources they need and a learning environment conducive to 21st century education.
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On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, the residents of our community will consider approving a $30 million capital referendum. If it is approved, we would leverage these funds to reshape our schools in a comprehensive manner and move forward with projects that cannot completed through our operating budget alone.​
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The School Board and administration believe the capital referendum is the best option to address many of our facility needs and ensure future generations of Whippets have access to the exceptional educational experience our community has come to expect from its schools.
OUR FACILITY NEEDS
The decision to pursue a capital referendum is the result of thorough planning by the board and administration to determine how we can address the most pressing facility challenges that exist in our schools. This process included a partnership with Bray Architects to complete a comprehensive assessment of its facilities. You can find the firm’s report at https://bit.ly/WUSDfacilities.
Among the most important findings was that many of our schools are home to infrastructure needs that include:
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HVAC, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems beyond the end of their useful life spans
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Many doors, windows, and floors are in poor condition
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Parking lots that are crumbling and beyond repair
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Security camera systems are outdated and no longer supported
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Severe overcrowding in the high school cafeteria space
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Tennis courts, which are original from the 1990s, are cracked beyond repair and must be replaced
The capital referendum base plan is to conduct building and facility improvements including construction of additions and renovations at Whitewater High School, specifically renovating the kitchen and cafeteria, expanding Career and Technical Education instructional spaces, updating the auditorium, and addressing the tennis courts. The base plan also includes conducting district-wide renovations, ensuring capital maintenance projects, improving building infrastructures, increasing safety and security measures, improving sites, and acquiring needed furnishings, fixtures, and equipment.
A significant need exists to improve safety, security, and accessibility for students and staff. Our schools currently have some drop-off and pick-up areas that are not properly separated from pedestrian or vehicle traffic, and some areas do not currently comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
This time lapse video shows the inability of the Whitewater High School cafeteria to accommodate the school's student population and the crowding that occurs daily.
Improvements are also needed for some classrooms and support areas. At Whitewater High School, the Career and Technical Education spaces need to be renovated and expanded to better support students pursuing futures in skilled trades. The school’s cafeteria is undersized and does not meet the demands of today’s students. To better support fine arts participants, sound, seating, and equipment in the auditorium should be replaced.
WUSD strives to address as many of our needs through the operational budget whenever possible. However, the reality is that many of the facility challenges go beyond what the operational budget can address alone. An approved referendum would provide the opportunity to revitalize our schools, provide more resources for our students, and position us for continued success.
TAX IMPACT
If the capital referendum is approved in April, the maximum projected tax impact would be $0.47 per $1,000 of estimated fair market value for a home within the district. This increase would amount to $117.50 annually or $9.79 monthly for a $250,000 home.​
The mill rate would decline throughout the lifespan of the bond, with the rate projected at a low of $0.24 per $1,000 by 2046.​​​
The WUSD School Board has a proven history of being fiscally responsible and balancing the needs of our property taxpayers with the needs of our students. In fact, the school district's portion of the local mill rate has fallen by 37% in the past six years — from $11.67 per $1,000 in 2018, to $7.32 in 2024
