By Rich Palzewic
Staff Writer

SEYMOUR – Seymour voters will be asked to approve a $6.5-million referendum question in the April 6 election.

At its Jan. 13 meeting, the Seymour school board approved a resolution allowing the district to ask voters to decide on the question, with the biggest project being an expanded tech ed area.

“We discussed the question heavily at our December meeting,” said Superintendent Laurie Asher. “Our woods, metals, welding and automotive are all in one small area. Over the past five years, we’ve seen a big increase in class enrollment in the tech ed area, so this expansion would allow us to make room for all our trades.”

Asher said it’s the district’s responsibility to train its students to be ready upon graduation.

“Certain trades really need employees,” she said. “The referendum is focused on getting our kids ready for these jobs, but also keeping them around the Seymour area. If passed, this is another piece of the puzzle to providing as many opportunities as we can for our students.”

At its December meeting, Asher said a community survey showed about 73 percent of the responses from the community were in favor of the referendum.

The $6.5-million project would also reroute some streets near the high school and middle school to ease traffic congestion.

If the question is approved, Asher said the tax rate would be close to the 2019 rate of $9.58 per $1,000 of equalized home value, which would be a total increase of about $2 per for a $100,000 home.

She said the district originally thought it might take 10 years to pay off the bond, but because the district is in the process of paying off debt ahead of schedule, the timeframe will be quicker than that.

“It will only take about six years,” said Asher. “We should have it paid off by the 2026-27 school year.”

If the question is approved, it would be about a year and a half until students could utilize the expanded area, she said.

The referendum question voters will see in the April 6 election is:

“Shall the Seymour Community School District, Outagamie and Shawano Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $6,548,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school improvement project at the middle school/high school campus consisting of: renovations and construction of an addition to expand the technology education area; site improvements, including entry and parking improvements; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?”