Shall the School District of Three Lakes, Oneida and Forest Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $18,900,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school building and facility improvement project consisting of: district-wide renovations, capital maintenance, building infrastructure, safety, security and site improvements; construction of additions at Sugar Camp Elementary School, including for classrooms and a cafeteria/multipurpose room; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment for both district sites?

Shall the School District of Three Lakes, Oneida and Forest Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $2,700,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school facility improvement project consisting of: athletic facility and site improvements, including for track replacement, a concessions/bathroom building, bleacher upgrades and parking lot expansion; related accessibility updates, safety and capital maintenance improvements; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?

The 2025 Facilities Referendum is a capital referendum that allows the district to issue debt for facilities improvements.

Through the years, our district has been able to address many large-ticket items such as roofing and boiler replacement within the regular budget. However, because our buildings are aging and our needs are changing, we’ve identified several areas that require larger investment than the regular budget allows. 

Our community survey indicated that improvements in safety, learning spaces and infrastructure would receive the greatest community support in a referendum, which is why those elements are included in Question 1. However, our community focus group concluded that the outdoor facilities were also important. The best way to gauge overall community support for these secondary items was to create a second question on the referendum. Voters now have an opportunity to approve one, both or neither of the questions.

Our district last passed a capital referendum in 1992. At that time, the large gym, auditorium, commons and district offices were added and other major building improvements were made.  

Our 2022 referendum was an OPERATIONAL referendum asking voters to approve funding above the annual revenue limit. Operational referendums fund day-to-day expenses in the district and help maintain things such as class sizes, programs and student services. At Three Lakes, we are on a five-year cycle for operational referendums, which means an operational referendum will come up again in 2027.

The 2025 facilities referendum is a CAPITAL referendum asking voters to allow the district to issue debt for facility improvements — such as maintenance, remodeling or additions — that cannot be addressed within an annual budget. Similar to a home mortgage, a capital referendum is typically financed over an extended period of time, often 20 years. 

This process began about two years ago when the district hired Nexus Solutions, an independent consultant, to develop a comprehensive facilities plan. The intent of a long-range facilities plan is to assess facility condition and needs as well as to create a maintenance schedule. 

Since early 2023, the district has:

• Completed a detailed facility audit.

• Surveyed staff to determine facility deficiencies.

• Reviewed findings and developed a long-range facility plan.

• Created a community-led Facility Planning Committee to identify priorities.

• Surveyed the community to determine support.

After careful consideration and collaborative efforts, the Three Lakes Board of Education unanimously voted to include two questions on the April 1, 2025, ballot. This two-question referendum aims to address key priorities while managing taxpayer dollars wisely.

Question 1 includes items that address safety/security, learning environments and infrastructure.

Safety & Security

School needs have changed over the past decade, and safety is now a high priority for staff and families. Our current building design does not meet safety recommendations. Among other things, the referendum would:

• Create secure entrances at Sugar Camp, TLE and the district office area.

• Upgrade security cameras and card access systems

• Update Three Lakes fire alarm system 

Learning Environment

Through this process, the district has also assessed learning needs and areas of growth in each school. For example, at Sugar Camp, the gym is currently used as the cafeteria, which our student needs have outgrown. We also looked at high school programming, special education, mental health counseling and more. To meet these needs, remodeling and expansion are necessary. The referendum would:

• Add a cafeteria/multipurpose room at Sugar Camp.

• Enlarge the 4K classroom at Sugar Camp to include a bathroom

• Remodel outdated bathrooms in the junior high and high school.

• Remodel special education spaces at Sugar Camp and Three Lakes.

• Repurpose classroom areas in the high school to fit current needs.

• Update the high school entrance canopy and add branding.

• Add a concession room near big gym.

Infrastructure

The final leg of Question 1 is aging infrastructure. Although the district has made significant updates, such as roofing and boiler replacement, through the regular budget, this referendum would correct many big-ticket systems through size-of-scale project management, which saves taxpayer money in the long run. The referendum would:

• Update HVAC systems at both buildings

• Replace 1956 galvanized pipes at Three Lakes

• Replace outdated interiors such as doors and casework at both buildings.

• Address drainage issues and building exterior repairs

• Update Three Lakes auditorium lighting, sound and stage flooring.

Question 2 focuses on our outdoor facilities, which have a huge community element. We hope these improvements not only help our students succeed, but also create community pride. If question No. 2 is approved, the district would:

• Add restrooms to the Three Lakes stadium area.

• Add parking near Winkler Road to improve stadium accessibility.

• Replace the track, improve field surface and irrigation and replace goal posts.

Approval of both referendum questions would result in an annual estimated tax increase of $58 per year (or $4.83 per month) for every $100,000 of property value over the current tax rate. The two referendum questions break out as follows:

• Question 1: Approval would result in an annual estimated tax increase of $51 per year (or $4.25 per month) for every $100,000 of property value.

• Question 2: Approval would result in an annual estimated tax increase of $7 per year (or $0.58 per month) for every $100,000 of property value. 

If both questions are approved, our district would be able to address key priorities while continuing to keep the tax rate low. 

The district believes these projects are necessary. If the referendum is not passed, these projects will still have to be done. However, they would be stretched over a much longer period of time, which increases overall expenses. By passing a referendum and using size-of-scale project budgeting, the district would ultimately save taxpayer money.

• Register to vote at myvote.wi.gov

• Learn More about voting absentee by mail

• Election day voting is April 1, 2025. Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm.

• Absentee ballots can be requested 3 weeks prior to the election (March 11th)

• Early in-person voting runs from March 18 – 28, 2025

Election day voting is April 1, 2025. Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm 

Polling places are as follows:

• Town of Hiles -  Hiles Town Hall

• Town of Piehl - Piehl Town Hall

• Town of Monico - Monico Town Hall

• Town of Stella - Piehl Town Hall

• Town of Sugar Camp - Sugar Camp Town Hall

• Town of Three Lakes - Three Lakes Town Hall

If you have any questions about your polling place, voting by absentee ballot, voter registration, etc., please visit My Vote Wisconsin.

Once the referendum is approved, a detailed design phase will begin. This phase will take about eight months to complete, during which time bids for construction work will be received. Actual construction is expected to start in Spring 2026 and be completed by Fall 2027. Most construction work will take place during the summer months.