June 27, 2019 – West Bend, WI – The West Bend School District Private Task Force (WBSDTF) completed tours of Jackson Elementary and the West Bend High Schools.
The WBSDTF is a group of citizens privately formed and funded whose mission is to generate and communicate independent findings related to maintenance and capital projects at the facilities mentioned. The task force was formed in the wake of a failed referendum in April of 2019. The goal of the referendum was the construction of a new K-4 elementary school in Jackson and safety and infrastructure enhancements at the high schools.
WBDSPTF members include Kevin Steiner, Tim Schmidt, Kraig Sadownikow, Randy Stark, Ed Duquaine, Dan Garvey, Mike Chevalier, Owen Robinson, Chris Kleman, and Chris Schmidt. Members were chosen based on their design, construction, facilities management and communication expertise.
“We felt our first priority was to gauge for ourselves the condition of the high schools and Jackson Elementary to gain a full understanding of the intent of the failed referendum,” said task force organizer and City of West Bend Mayor Kraig Sadownikow.
“Maintenance and capital budgets for the District’s 1.2 million square feet of buildings has been a focus of discussions so far,” said task force member and former City of West Bend Alderman Ed Duquaine. “We requested and were given past information related to pre-referendum work, the district’s 25-year plan and completed tours with the facilities director.”
To gain a full and complete understanding of the district’s physical condition, the task force is considering touring other facilities. “We are looking forward to where the district can go in the future, rather than looking backward to debate where we’ve been,” said task force member Dan Garvey.
Zimmerman Architectural Studios has been retained by the task force. Their firm, led by Dave Stroik, had mechanical and electrical engineers along for the tours. “Our role is to help assess existing conditions and bring the expertise of how modern educational facilities should be designed,” said Stroik.
The task force expects to complete its work this summer and will present findings to the school board in October.
For additional information on the West Bend School District Private Task Force contact Kraig Sadownikow at www.teamacs.net.
