Community Center & Riverside Elementary Project

History of the Community Center:

• Opened in 1996
• A joint project between the School District of Menomonee Falls and Village of Menomonee Falls
• Need to create permanent space for seniors and the Eirenicon Club during the day
• General community use in the evenings
• Created a shared gym to be used by Riverside during the day and community at night

Growth:

• Community programming has increased significantly
• Sharing space with the general community creates safety concerns for Riverside and Quest students. Quest is an alternative high school program of Menomonee Falls High School
• Need for school-related space has increased during that time (Quest and Riverside music), reducing space available for growing community programs
• Overlap with students waiting to get into the gym, with community members going to the lower level for programs
• Daytime community events have to be planned around when school is not in session
• If an event is scheduled during a school day, PE classes are left looking for an alternate location
• Current configuration of gym limits access to the community during the day

• CE&Rec Facility Opportunities with Proposed Plan:
  • Expands opportunities for community
  • Ease of access→ now one level
  • Additional daytime programs and special events, without displacing PE classes
  • Reduce scheduling conflicts
  • Allow for program growth
  • Ensure everyone has access to facilities
  • Increased social connections
  • Improved quality of life
  • Additional gym space within the schools by shifting programs to the new Community Center gym
  • Additional adult enrichment programs during the day and at night
  • Designated indoor walking times
  • Accessible office area for one of our recreation supervisors

• Separate, Secure Facilities
  • Enhances safety by reducing potential for the general community to have contact with students during passing periods
  • All programming to take place on one level - easily accessible for all
  • Continuation of fitness programs if current fitness room is converted to Riverside space
  • Increase safety for Riverside and Quest students
  • Reduce scheduling conflicts
  • Allow for program growth
  • Ensure everyone has access to facilities

Riverside is out of classroom and cafeteria space. The proposed expansion, supports Riverside incoming student population and programming.

Riverside Elementary currently educates:

• 6 sections of 3rd graders
• 6 sections of 4th graders
• 6 sections of 5th graders

Due to a large 2nd grade cohort, in 24-25, Riverside will educate:

• 7 sections of 3rd graders
• 6 sections of 4th graders
• 6 sections of 5th graders

This summer, Riverside will be converting space where specialists and small groups meet and work into this additional classroom.

Projected Enrollment reflects in 25-26, Riverside will educate:

• 7 sections of 3rd graders
• 7 sections of 4th graders
• 6 sections of 5th graders

Projected Enrollment reflects in 26-27, Riverside will educate:

• 6 sections of 3rd graders
• 7 sections of 4th graders
• 7 sections of 5th graders

Enrollment projection details can be found on this document.

Riverside’s cafeteria is already extremely tight. We are currently exploring all options to support higher student count during meal times:

• Utilizing half of the gym as cafeteria space
• A class eating lunch in classroom
• Adding a lunch period

Riverside music and CE&Rec group exercise classes often happen concurrently during the week. These rooms are next to each other, creating overlap between spaces both students and the community can access. This project would create two safe, secure buildings that would function separately, eliminating student and community space-overlap.

This fund balance is still well within what is considered the range for a healthy fund balance and would not hinder cash flow.

Fund 10 Portion: $529,704

Fund 39 Debt:

• Debt issued via an approved referendum
• Levy is “outside” revenue limits, meaning it does not compete with classroom resources
• A District may levy additional funds up to the amount of debt service principal/interest outstanding

Meaning:

• Mechanism to prepay existing debt prior to the call date
• Available funds placed in an irrevocable trust for purpose of prepaying debt at the call date
• Approximate cost is $16,000

Entities Involved:

• Municipal Advisor (PMA)
• Bond Counsel (Quarles & Brady)
• Escrow Agent (TBD)
• Verification Agent (TBD)

Projected interest savings based upon approximate $12 million defeasance: $3.3 million

Debt Defeasance Analysis PDF

Benefits of CE&Rec Facilities Enhancement Project paired with Defeasance

• Savings of millions of dollars of interest to the taxpayers over next 12 years by paying debt off early ($3.3M)
• Maintaining steady, predictable tax rate while enhancing community facilities
• Paying down debt more quickly than original amortization schedule
• No new debt created through this project

The timing of this project, paired with a Fund 39 debt defeasance, allows the expansion and upgrade projects to take place over the 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal years and be funded through existing tax levy capacity and projections, creating no new debt. The tax levy would be maintained under $40,000,000, where it has sat and fluctuated minimally over the last five years. The Board's actions over time have focused on long-term fiscal efficiency by setting the District up for a Fund 39 debt defeasance. In collaboration with PMA Securities, LLC, a debt defeasance of prior referendum debt was presented, identifying a taxpayer savings of $3.3 million over the next 12 years. This defeasance simultaneously creates room in the total tax levy to fund the proposed CE&Rec Community Center project in the 2024 and 2025 tax levies, allowing the projects to be funded while avoiding a significant tax spike for the community.

The timing of the presented facilities projects paired with a debt defeasance results in a tax levy in line with recent historical trends, a declining mill rate, and spaces supporting the growth of CE&Rec programming and Riverside enrollment.

• Fund 39 (Prior Referendum Debt) Defeasance
  • Saves $3.3 million in interest for taxpayers
  • Creates room in the overall levy to fund the CE&Rec project

• Creates no new debt
  • Funded through Fund 80 levy over two years
  • Mill rate continues to drop over this time

Gymnasium Spaces:

• High school and middle school athletics, in-season practices and competitions, and out-of-season open gyms
• CE & Rec programs
• Special events - community and school
• Menomonee Falls Youth Basketball Association - practices and competitions
• Milwaukee Sport Club / MF Kickers Soccer - indoor practices
• Bi-County Special Olympics
• Menomonee Falls Youth Wrestling Club - doesn’t currently use gym space, but has expressed an interest
• Miscellaneous rentals
• Menomonee Falls Angels Softball - indoor practices

Group Exercise/Dance Studio:

• Located in the lower level of the Community Center, next to the Riverside music room
• Used 4 - 5 days per week for community programming at the same time Riverside music is taking place (student safety concern)
• Used 4 - 5 evenings per week for community programming

Community Center:

• Senior Center during the day
  • Rooms used daily for a variety of programs
  • All rooms are used on Monday afternoons and Friday mornings
  • Most rooms being used other days of the week
• Waukesha County Senior Meal Site (5 days a week)
• CE & Rec Programs
• CE & Rec Offices
• Weight Watchers
• SDMF Meetings
• Weekly and monthly meetings for community organizations
• Optimist Club
• Community League
• Food Pantry