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Facilities & Operations
THE “OPERATIONS” OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT INCLUDE OUR HUMAN RESOURCES, SCHOOL NUTRITION, ATHLETICS AND ACTIVITIES, BUSINESS AND FINANCE,
AND FACILITIES AND GROUNDS DEPARTMENTS. This team is integral in the support of our mission of Every Child, Every Day in areas like school nutrition, safety, cleanliness, materials, budgeting and ordering, teacher retention, etc.
Providing our students with a top-quality physical learning environment is important to us, and we are continuously investing back into our facilities. We work hard to provide a physical environment that is safe and conducive to how learning has evolved over time.
Recent projects were completed through our Capital Projects budget, including projects identified in the 2016 referendum, projects identified in the 2019 referendum, and projects that were completed with conserved funds from the 2016 construction of Meadow View and Token Springs Elementary schools.
Some of the Recent Projects Elementary Schools:
• C. H. Bird, Eastside, Northside, Royal Oaks, and Westside all received new lockers or cubbies to replace the old ones that were rusting.
• C. H. Bird, Eastside, Northside, and Westside had hallway wood paneling replaced with a more modern drywall finish that matches the interior finish of our newer elementary schools.
• LED lighting retrofit projects were completed at Horizon and
Creekside.
• Classroom door openings to support personalized learning were added at C. H. Bird, Creekside, Eastside, and Horizon.
Renovated library at C. H. Bird Elementary
New tile and lockers at C. H. Bird Elementary
• Porcelain tile was placed in the hallways at C. H. Bird.
Middle School boilers
• New furniture and
carpeting were installed in the LGIs at C. H. Bird and
Northside Elementary lockers
Westside, and paint work was done.
• Eastside and Northside had new casework installed in their staff lounges and paint work was done.
Secondary Schools:
• Patrick Marsh and Prairie View received two new boilers, new exterior windows with integral blinds, skylight replacements, new flooring in needed areas, and paint work.
• LED lighting retrofit projects began at Patrick Marsh.
• At Sun Prairie High School, work was done to refurbish the mulch beds at the front of the school, and work is being completed to replace the short backstop areas at the softball fields with taller netting backstops to prevent foul balls from leaving the playing area.
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facilities & operations
Sun Prairie West High School: Opening Fall 2022
Did You Know? Since 2005, when we started our energy management program, we have added just over 750,000 square feet of school facilities; yet in 2019–2020, we used 24% less overall energy. We have done this by cutting our energy intensity—the energy we use per square foot—in half through projects like LED changeouts, boiler and chiller upgrades, and operational changes.
Pictured: Jeff Tubbs (Findorff), School Board President Steve Schroeder, Secondary School Space Planning Committee School Board Liaison Lisa Goldsberry, and Superintendent Brad Saron
Exterior rendering of Sun Prairie West High School
Virtual Groundbreaking
Due to COVID-19 and the inability to host an in-person event, a small, socially distanced groundbreaking for Sun Prairie West High School was held. Construction at the site is underway. A community celebration will be scheduled in the future when it is safe to do so. Follow along with the construction progress by visiting our website: www.sunprairieschools.org/ref2019
Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium at Ashley Field
We are pleased to introduce our partnership with the Bank of Sun
Prairie. The new multipurpose stadium has been named Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium at Ashley Field. The facility will host football, lacrosse, soccer, Sound of Sun Prairie, and other
Ashley Field groundbreaking celebration following the last home football game
community events. The ADA accessible stadium includes seating for 4,075. The home side has seating for 2,098,
and the visitor side has seating for 1,977.
The community’s investment in this project will provide learning opportunities for students outside the classroom and will bring unique opportunities to host other community events in the space. A grand opening will be held for the community when it is safe to do so.
Mascot Reveal
The community was part of the school naming and mascot selection for Sun Prairie West High School. We would like to extend a big thank you to Birch and Wolf for all of their hard work developing the wolf logo. We are excited for the wolf to join the cardinal!
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facilities & operations
Financial
The capacity of the SPASD to invest in professional development, to support students in AVID programming, to send athletes to competitions, and to celebrate amazing student musicians at concerts at the Sun Prairie Performing Arts Center all depends on excellence in financial management and budgeting. Our Business and Finance Department, in collaboration with departments and schools across the District, coordinates our resources to ensure allocation is aligned to School District goals and Board expectations.
The District avoided $68,000,000+ in interest costs during the first and second phases of borrowing for Sun Prairie West High School compared to the initial referendum pricing.
The total budget for the District is $260,000,000, which includes the general fund, as well as special education, food services, and construction funds.
Safety
The safety of our staff and students is our number one priority. This year in particular, with the COVID-19 pandemic, was our opportunity to show just how much safety is important to this
Pictured: Front, left to right: Janet Rosseter, SPHS student Makayla Keenan, SPHS student Brooke Bandli, Shelley Weiss, Nick Reichhoff, Andrea Anderson, Michele Vollmer, Kevin Sukow Back, left to right: Chad Whalley, SPHS student Quinn Williams, Verell Shumpert, Lorraine Schwager, Mike Iselin School District. We continue to gather information through surveys, committees, and discussions about safety today so that we can continue to improve in the area of safety and security tomorrow.
SPASD sent a delegation of thirteen people to the Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association (WSSCA) annual conference in
February. Our District safety and security consultant, Shelley Weiss, was honored as the Wisconsin School Safety Coordinator of the Year for her work in the District, with community partners, and across the state. We appreciate the leadership Shelley has provided for our School District.
Included with the Sun Prairie group were three student representatives from Sun Prairie High School. These three students were the first students to attend in the history of the conference. Other school districts saw the value in having student voices present and will bring their own students in the future.
Through our Safety Grant funds from the Department of Justice, the District purchased Public School Works and ALICE online training programs for all staff. Public School Works is the top provider of complete online safety and regulatory compliance programs for 4K–12 schools. All staff completed several modules of training this past year in topics ranging from workplace safety and regulatory compliance to human resources and employment law. We have established a comprehensive training plan for our staff going forward, to ensure that safety remains a top priority. Staff and students in all District facilities have also been trained in the ALICE protocols for responding to active threats. (ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate, and it is a gold-standard for active threat preparedness.) As part of our ALICE training initiative this past year, we were able to provide a family and community ALICE online training module on our District Safety and Security web page for anyone looking for more information about the District’s response to active threats. Through our effective training efforts, this past year the District became an official ALICE Certified Organization. We are proud of the work of our staff and students to continually improve and maintain safety and security in our schools and throughout our District.
Building for Our Future: Safety Planning and Considerations during Construction
As a part of the referendum projects to build Sun Prairie West High School, remodel Central Heights Middle School, and create a new space for Prairie Phoenix Academy, safety and security planning has been important. In working with Bray Architects, we have created secure entry plans for the buildings, identified severe weather shelters, and developed protocol for securing the buildings in the event of an active threat. We are excited to see what our students will accomplish in these safe spaces for learning!
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Thank you to the Sun Prairie crossing guards and school bus drivers who keep our students safe each day! Pictured: Jerry (Main and Kroncke) and Stacey with Superintendent Saron
