2025 Referendum FAQs

The current two-building campus at AHS has several safety and security issues. Students travel between buildings throughout the day, making it impossible to close, lock, or control doors.

The buildings lack secure entries to control access. While the main entrances require manual entry by an administrative assistant, once inside, visitors have access to the entire school. There are no additional security layers to limit access to other areas.

Best practices for school security involve a layered approach. Before accessing portions of the school, visitors are buzzed into an administrative area to present credentials. AHS does not have this system in place.

By renovating and expanding North and bring all students under one roof, AHS will:

• Repairing and replacing critical mechanical systems.
• Repurposing duplicate areas, saving approximately $750,000 annually
• Avoiding $17.6 million in 10 years and  an estimated $44 million in savings over 25 years in future maintenance costs by removing the South Building

The proposed April 1 referendum consolidates AHS, bringing all students under one roof.  This is accomplished by renovating and expanding the North building.  The proposal will:

• Enhance safety and security by consolidating into a single school at the North building. The plan constructs secure entrances at the North building, ensures the entire facility has a sprinkler system, and improves traffic flow. 

• Renovate and expand high-priority educational spaces in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). The renovated and expanded portions of the North building will include large and small group instruction spaces and more flexible classrooms.

• Improve efficiency by repairing and replacing critical mechanical systems that operate our school. In addition, the plan better utilizes our space by repurposing duplicate areas. This plan avoids the $17 million in capital maintenance to the South Building and eliminates approximately $750,000 ANNUALLY in inefficiencies, redundant costs, and duplicated services and equipment.

After completing the renovation and expansion of the North building, the South building will be removed and replaced with displaced athletics fields and parking.

The April 1 referendum will support teaching and learning by:

• Upgrading AHS’s science, technology, engineering, arts, and math classrooms.
• Modernizing AHS’s laboratories.
• Creating flexible spaces for project-based learning, collaboration and small group instruction.
• Utilizing adaptable spaces to meet varied student needs.
• Designing multi-purpose spaces that will be used for student instruction, activities, and athletics.

Yes. On January 15, the School Board voted unanimously to place the referendum on the April 1 ballot.  

The tax impact of $1.02 per $1,000 represents the estimated mill rate impact for referendum-approved debt service. The interest rates used to calculate the estimated tax impact on a 20-year loan, range from 4.25% to 4.50% (due to staggered borrowings). The 2024 equalized value is $9,951,403,874 with annual growth of 1.50% thereafter.

These planning estimates were prepared by Robert W. Baird & Co.

The Board cannot borrow more than the approved referendum amount of $136.2 million. If approved,$136.2 million represents a hard cap on allowable referendum expenditures for construction costs, site work, fees, permitting, furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

Arrowhead is one of the lowest spending, lowest funded, and lowest taxing districts in the state.  This link: https://www.arrowheadschools.org/referendum/WhyaReferendum.pdf includes information and state data that shows Arrowhead ranks 366 out of 420 districts in spending per pupil. As Arrowhead is a high school district only, our costs are always more than K-12 districts as elementary and middle schools cost much less to operate than high schools. AHS is also by far the lowest taxing district in Waukesha County and one of a handful of schools in the state with zero debt.

In Wisconsin and the country, school buildings are aging. Many schools were built in the 1950s and 1960s. These aging buildings need major infrastructure improvements. Plus, these 50+ year-old buildings no longer best support today’s teaching methods, focused largely on collaboration, small group instruction, communication, innovation and engagement with technology.

This is the case at AHS. There is a mismatch between our physical infrastructure and our teaching and learning goals.

That is why Arrowhead and so many other Wisconsin school districts have or are proposing significant facilities referenda. Our school buildings are stuck in the industrial age – but we need facilities that support the age of innovation.

The referendum will renovate and expand the AHS pool. The proposed project will include an 8-lane pool with a deep end suitable for diving competitions. The renovated and expanded pool will include changing facilities and increased seating capacity for 500-600 to host events. A new, secure activities entrance will also be constructed. 

Yes, the tennis courts closest to the track/football field will be resurfaced (gray) and new courts added (green), instead of the courts on the other side of the road/parking area for safety. It is expected AHS will have a total of 12 tennis courts, with parking nearby.

In November 2024 the AHS community indicated the proposed new school was too expensive.  The school board went back to the drawing board and came up with the next best approach: reducing the cost of the referendum by renovating and expanding the North building.  The reduced and revised proposal achieves our primary goals, including serving all students under one roof.  

The school board needed to make some difficult decisions to reduce the cost of the revised referendum.  Unfortunately, we could not include a new or renovated auditorium in the April 1 referendum due to cost considerations.  The current auditorium is certainly not perfect.  While the current auditorium is small and has its limitations, it is still functional and can be used for the foreseeable future. Our students and teachers have been putting on amazing performances in the auditorium for years, and there is no reason to expect that will not continue.  

On the other hand, the pool requires immediate attention.  The pool and its mechanical systems are deteriorating and require significant renovation.   

The conceptual site plan allows for future renovation and expansion of the current auditorium.  However, we had to make some difficult decisions to reduce the cost of the proposed project.

The proposed multi-purpose facility is a cost-effective approach to serving our students. AHS expects the multi-purpose facility will be used throughout daytime and evening hours. Physical education classes will be scheduled in the facility throughout the school day. We also expect other academic classes will utilize the space periodically. For example, engineering, robotics, and marching band classes can use the large, open space.

Before and after the school day, students will use the facility for activities and athletics, especially during unpredictable or inclement weather.

A portion of the facility will have artificial turf. A portion of the facility will have a durable hard surface, perfect for basketball, pickleball, volleyball, or a batting cage.

The space will be available for community use when not being used by our students.

We plan to improve traffic flow both on the AHS site and municipal streets, primarily Arrowhead Drive and Campus Drive.  We recognize ingress and egress to AHS can be improved.  Queuing during drop-off and pick-up is a particular challenge and we recognize the need to separate bus and parent traffic.

However, it is too early to describe exact traffic patterns on Arrowhead and Campus Drive.  Significant coordination with traffic engineers and municipal government will be needed to optimize traffic flow in and around the AHS site.  

Yes. The proposed referendum increases parking for students, staff, and events.  The current site is approximately 1,389 parking stalls.  The proposed campus plan will have approximately +/-2,200 spaces, +/-800 more parking spaces than the current campus. The largest increase occurring at the northwest portion of the site to account for the additional load of staff and students consolidated at the north building. Additional parking will also be added at the south end of the site near the new displaced fields for athletics parking.  Note: future parking counts may be impacted by design and construction decisions.

Despite the scale of this project, student learning will see minimal disruption. The North and South buildings will remain operational while the academic wing and multi-purpose facility are added to North. Aside from construction noise, the student experience will largely remain unchanged.

Major renovations at North will be scheduled for summer, with some work continuing during the school year. However, the completed academic wing will ensure core subjects are taught in a completely separate area from construction. The South campus also provides flexibility in phasing student transitions, with options like using two cafeterias or the south gym temporarily.

The construction team will coordinate with administrators to block off work areas and reroute student traffic as needed. Students will not have access to active construction zones. The construction team is extremely well-versed in completing projects on operating campuses and places top priority on student safety, minimizing disruptions to student learning, and also utilizing these projects as opportunities to engage students in the construction process where applicable.

Yes. If voters approve the April 1 referendum, all trade work required to complete the proposed project will be competitively bid after the design is complete.

There are no detailed plans as the district would need to go to referendum to afford the cost of actual architectural drawings/designs. School districts simply cannot afford to pay for plans until communities approve the funds for the entire project. Architectural firms like Eppstein Uhen (EUA) and construction companies like VJS design and build many schools (and other buildings) so they have a pulse on what projects/materials/labor costs. This is the usual process districts use for a referendum. It is the same process used by our administrative team within their previous districts, as well as by just about every area district that has gone to referendum over the past 30 years.

Despite the scale of this project, student learning will see minimal disruption. The North and South buildings will remain operational while the academic wing and multi-purpose facility are added to North. Aside from construction noise, the student experience will largely remain unchanged.

Major renovations at North will be scheduled for summer, with some work continuing during the school year. However, the completed academic wing will ensure core subjects are taught in a completely separate area from construction. The South campus also provides flexibility in phasing student transitions, with options like using two cafeterias or the south gym temporarily.

The construction team will coordinate with administrators to block off work areas and reroute student traffic as needed. Students will not have access to active construction zones. The construction team is extremely well-versed in completing projects on operating campuses and places top priority on student safety, minimizing disruptions to student learning, and also utilizing these projects as opportunities to engage students in the construction process where applicable.

EUA (Eppstein Uhen Architects) was chosen through a competitive process that involved the district receiving proposals from five firms, narrowing the list down to two finalists, and conducting interviews with the School Board members. The AUHSD Administration and Board selected EUA based on their multidisciplinary expertise, K12-specific planning and project experience, knowledge of our campus, and their fee proposal for both pre-referendum and post-referendum services. 

VJS Construction Services (VJS) will serve as the construction manager. VJS was also selected through a competitive RFP process that included reviewing and scoring responses from five firms. The categories that were scored included: Firm and Team Qualifications, Project Approach, Costs/Fees, and Safety. Three of the five firms were interviewed, with VJS scoring the best and being selected as the construction manager to manage the project. All trade work required to build the project will still be competitively bid after the project design is complete.

The district aims to maximize local involvement by allowing local subcontractors to bid on construction projects. The construction will be divided into multiple phases, covering major components including, but not limited to: steel, carpentry, roofing, masonry, concrete, paint, drywall, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, casework, and flooring. This phased approach provides opportunities for local subcontractors of various sizes to bid on individual project components.

We want to reassure the community that tariffs are just one of many economic forces the project team navigates on a daily basis. The reality is that every construction project faces challenges, whether it’s from weather conditions, inflation, supply chain disruptions, or tariffs. These factors are always part of the landscape, and the team is well-prepared to respond as they have in the past, adapting and making necessary adjustments along the way.

It’s important to note that the total cost of the project cannot legally exceed the total dollar amount voters approve on election day. Our primary commitment is to deliver the project within the agreed-upon budget, timeline, design specifications, and quality expectations. While there may need to be adjustments along the way—whether in materials, timing, or design elements—we will ensure the core goals of the project are still met.

A key reason the AHS administration and board have chosen a Construction Manager (CM) delivery method, rather than a traditional hard bid or General Contractor approach, is to provide ongoing flexibility and expertise throughout the project. The CM’s role is to monitor and address economic forces, including tariffs, labor market availability, and materials costs so the project can stay on track with both budget and scope. This approach also includes critical budget checks at the end of each design phase, which provide an opportunity for AHS and its professional resources to assess and course-correct before proceeding further.

Should the referendum pass, the team’s goal will always remain to design and build the facility as promised to the community, while adhering to the budget and timeline.