Holmen school district to go to referendum for significant high school repairs and upgrades

After 25 years, the Holmen High School needs significant upgrades.

The school board decided this week to go to referendum, asking for $23.5 million for upgrades to several areas, as well as a $460,000 question that would help the district operate the new space.

District reps say the space does not adequately educate the growing enrollment.

School board member Tom Krause said there hadn’t been enough investigation of alternatives.

“The speed of the referendum has been exception — 36 days we’ve been asked to approve almost $24 million,” Krause said. “I don’t see the intellectual curiosity I want to see.”

Fellow board member Kate Meyer disputed the district was rushing into the referendum.

“The implications that we are doing this in a hurry offends me,” she said. “We go back decades considering what should be done. This district does a wonderful job planning way ahead of its time.”

The board agreed this week on a 5-1 vote to put the questions to the voters on the Nov. 6 ballot.