Public Forum:
There is a very important election taking place in Brown Deer on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The voters in the village/school district of Brown Deer will have the opportunity to make an important statement about in which direction they would like to see our schools and our community move.
There will be two questions on the ballot. The first calls for the borrowing of $18 million for the purpose of re-configuring the Brown Deer School District into a two-school campus: K4 - sixth grade would be in the current middle school, moving the seventh and eighth grades to a separate wing of the high school. This would call for some re-modeling of the middle school and high school, construction of a new art room, cafeteria and gymnasium at the high school, and the demolition of Dean Elementary School. The second question asks for an additional $4 million to make the new high school gymnasium into a four-station gym.
We are writing to strongly encourage the voters of Brown Deer to vote YES-YES on the two questions. Why YES? We have passed a critical point in our district where doing nothing is no longer an option, so a YES vote on the first question is virtually a necessity. Our needs are great and we can no longer afford to put Band-Aids on a gaping wound. As for question 2, we currently have children getting up at 4:30 a.m. in order to be at school by 5:45 a.m. for volleyball or basketball practice because there is not enough room for all of the teams - varsity, JV and freshman for both boys and girls.
And what an asset for the community! In addition to the physical education classes and athletics, revenue-generating outside programs could be brought in (can you say UW Band concert?), there would be an indoor track for the community to use year-around, and just imagine an indoor graduation ceremony where all of a graduates' families could attend! Along with all of the above, construction costs and interest rates insist that now is the time.
Brown Deer has so much going for it: cultural diversity, improvement in academic achievement, a small town atmosphere where residents take great pride in the appearance of their homes and property and watch out for each other. Please join us in helping to make Brown Deer a DESTINATION. Please join us in voting YES-YES on Nov. 15.
Dennis and Theresa Murphy
Brown Deer
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10 COMMENTS
BDFalcon - Nov 03, 2011 11:34 AM - Report Abuse
BDGal - Nov 03, 2011 7:35 PM - Report Abuse
42BDResident - Nov 06, 2011 4:53 PM - Report Abuse
BDFalcon - Nov 06, 2011 5:35 PM - Report Abuse
42BDResident - Nov 07, 2011 12:25 PM - Report Abuse
BDFalcon - Nov 07, 2011 12:57 PM - Report Abuse
No question a 4-station gym is better than two. I am more upset at the fact the school board added this questions so the "community" can vote without completing a thorough cost analysis first. I understand this is a unique opportunity. However, that doesn't mean I run out to replace my Ford Explorer with an Escalade at these low rates. And I certainly wouldn't just throw it to my kids to see which one they think is "better" because I know what they will say! :D That is all I'm saying. They should've been more responsible and careful...especially when a majority of the survey respondents didn't want the additional gym space in the first place.
42BDResident - Nov 07, 2011 5:54 PM - Report Abuse
http://browndeer.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/121380/File/2011%20Referendum/2011BrownDeerCommunitySurveyReport.pdf?sessionid=98b391975af8ba37a80b2fd48d6cddc3
To the following question, a majority answered in favor of the field house: "In addition to the facility upgrades identified in the two-school campus plan, a larger gym could be added to the project at a cost of $4 million. The gym included in the base plan provides enough space to teach two physical education classes at the same time. The expanded gym would double the gym space and include an indoor track."
But when the question was re-worded: it recieved a more negative response: "Would you likely support a referendum to implement the two-school campus plan AND expand the high school gym if the annual tax increase is $38-$40 for each $100,000 of assessed home value?
This would provide $22 million in funding for the District’s recommended plan and double the size of the proposed gym including an indoor track."
See the link above for actual percentages of responses to each of the questions.
So given this disperity, I believe that is why they have added the question. Perhaps they are looking to provide better analysis before the vote.
I did notice they added information on the possible uses of the 4 station gym by the BD Rec Department.
http://browndeer.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/121380/File/2011%20Referendum/Rec%20Dept%20Ltr.pdf?sessionid=98b391975af8ba37a80b2fd48d6cddc3
AverageMan - Nov 08, 2011 9:02 PM - Report Abuse
I also have a problem with the lack analysis on Field House usage, as well as the operating and maintenance costs involved, prior to voting to have it as referendum Question #2. They seemed to pass it without doing their homework, and are now scrambling to answers the question swirling around this topic.
Workasacommunity - Nov 10, 2011 11:53 PM - Report Abuse
Great point that the gym at dean was only 4,800 square feet. 17,000 square feet is more then triple the size. I would rather offer more programming then add a gym. 4 million over 20 years is $200,000 a year in additional spending. That could hire almost 3 young teachers. I'll take education over a gym any day.
I don't want to hear the obesity argument. If a field house is not built that does not mean gym class won't be taught.
Lets educate in Brown Deer. The first way to do this is to teach children the value of a dollar. Voting for this Field House teaches them money can be wasted if you have it.
VOTE NO on question 2 the FIELD HOUSE!
42BDResident - Nov 14, 2011 5:25 PM - Report Abuse
Also, Have you asked the district about the costs you are concerned about? What was their response?