The School District of Rhinelander Board of Education has approved three facility projects with a combined estimated cost of $1.3 million: a new inclusive playground at Pelican Elementary School, a remodel of the Rhinelander High School fitness center, and a district maintenance and storage building.
The district will pay up to $1.15 million of that total from unused contingency funds and interest earned on the Capital Project Referendum fund. That fund holds the $26 million in bond proceeds district voters approved in April 2024 for the recently completed tech ed construction project, along with interest the money has earned while invested and donations made toward the project.
The Hodag Schools Foundation (HSF) is expected to cover the remaining $150,000. Each project was voted on separately during the board’s Oct. 19 meeting. The projects were reviewed by the capital projects committee on Oct. 12 and forwarded to the full board for action.
According to a memo from Superintendent Eric Burke, approval is subject to final project plans, bids or quotes, available funding and district purchasing requirements. If any project exceeds its approved district contribution, the district would need more board approval or another funding source.
Burke said the district has more than $1.3 million in earned interest available for projects in the district. He added that the exact amount of unused contingency is not yet known.
Pelican playground
The board approved the Pelican Elementary playground at an estimated cost of $250,000. Up to $200,000 will come from referendum contingency and interest, and $50,000 from the HSF.
Board member Mike Roberts made the motion. He said the item passed the committee unanimously and that Pelican is the district’s last elementary school without an inclusive, accessible playground.
“I think it’s an important project to complete,” Roberts said.
Kari Strebig, principal at Pelican Elementary, told the board that several pieces of existing playground equipment are unusable. One slide is cracked and has been off-limits for two years.
“We do have a lot of students who have sensory needs that this inclusive playground will help to support, including students with mobility issues as well,” she said.
A Sept. 29 proposal from Lee Recreation LLC prices the BCI Burke equipment package at $228,397. That figure includes installation, freight, a $25,850 discount and about 1,085 square feet of poured-in-place surfacing. The package includes ADA-accessible ramps, an inclusive spinner, a swing assembly with two “freedom” swing seats and shade structures, and is designed for ages 5 to 12. A separate Musson Brothers proposal prices earthwork at $8,970. Burke said the total cost is expected to come in “south of $250,000.”
On timing, Burke said the district will need to coordinate with the playground company and the school. He said the project may not happen until toward the end of the school year.
Maintenance and storage building
The board also approved up to $650,000 from referendum contingency and interest for a district maintenance and storage building. No HSF support is identified for this project.
According to a memo distributed to board members, maintenance storage sheds were demolished when the Hodag Dome was built, with the intention of replacing them. Roberts said the building was originally part of the dome and athletic fields project but was cut, mostly because of COVID and rising material costs. The board previously approved leveling the site.
The building would sit on donated property across the street from James Williams Middle School. The memo says the site has been reviewed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Point of Beginning Surveying, the city of Rhinelander and Bray Architects.
Plans call for a 48-by-102-foot insulated steel building with a concrete slab. Cleary Building Corp. quoted $385,838 for the building. Site preparation and paving by Musson’s is estimated at $98,000, and utilities at about $45,000. Bids for interior finishes and a heating system are still pending.
District maintenance staff member Pat Kegley said the loss of the old building has forced the district to cram maintenance items and furniture into other storage spaces.
“Right now, we have equipment sitting outside, rusting. All that’s costing money as we speak,” he said.
Kegley said the $650,000 would build an insulated hard shell. He said the district may set money aside in the future for an office or bathroom for the maintenance crew.
RHS fitness center
The board also approved the RHS fitness center remodel at an estimated $400,000. Up to $300,000 will come from referendum contingency and interest, and $100,000 from the HSF.
Roberts, who chairs the capital projects committee, abstained from the vote because his son is a teacher in that classroom space.
Burke said the booster club and sports teams are supporting the fitness center fundraising. He said HSF president Scott Borths, who attended the committee meeting, reported that the foundation is nearing its $150,000 goal for the playground and fitness center combined.
Burke said the fitness center, which has been in use since 2013, is used every morning by community members and by all PE classes. “It touches every single student that goes through our school district, high school,” he said.
District activities director Brian Paulson said the room currently has about eight stations, usually with three students to a station. He said class sizes have grown to around 30, with two teachers in some periods.
He said the remodel would keep the current space and add 21 racks. The treadmills would stay, and the center would remain open to the community.
The Dynamic Fitness & Strength quote, dated Aug. 21, totals $383,955.90. That includes $34,000 for installation, $11,220 in estimated freight and a tariff surcharge of about $1,500.
Earlier in the meeting, Director of Business Services Bob Thom said the $26 million tech ed construction project is “pretty well done.” He said final numbers from C.D. Smith should be ready in the next month or so.
The Star Journal asked Burke to clarify whether the unused contingency money and earned interest could be used for anything other than facility projects.
“The unused contingency and earned interest is in Fund 49 and can only be used for facility projects and maintenance expenses,” he replied. “We are fortunate that the referendum project provided this opportunity to make needed improvements to our facilities.”
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