Vote YES & YES Nov 5th

How did we get here and why now?

Two short videos to answer these questions…

On November 5th, Arrowhead voters will vote on two questions:

An operational referendum of $1.9 million over four years to maintain current day-to-day operations and student services. (This will replace the current $1.7 million operating referendum which expires at the end of 2024-25)

A facilities referendum of $261.2 million over 20 years to build a new 555,000 sq ft school which brings AHS under one roof while addressing the safety & security, building conditions, undersized spaces, inefficiencies, and modern learning concerns.

WHY VOTE YES FOR AHS

Why Now?

Age of the school: South campus was built in 1955 - North campus in 1969 with last major facilities investment in 1999
Failed past referenda and the state funding model have put our facilities at a tipping point.
Never cheaper to build than today… A $180 million school construction project in 2018 would cost over $253 million today. If we wait the cost will only continue to increase
Alleviate duplicated services that are costing roughly $935,500 each year to maintain two campuses

What's at stake

Referendum Information Nights

Mark your calendars! All events begin at 6pm at the South Campus Cafeteria. More dates to come so keep checking back!

Thursday, October 3rd
Wednesday, October 16th
Tuesday, October 22nd
Monday, October 28th

Community Benefits

Better & safer traffic flow throughout the Arrowhead High School property

1,000 seat auditorium that can host dance recitals, plays/musicals, community events, guest speakers

Competition size pool with more space to host swim meets, pool parties, and community members to swim laps

Indoor field house facilities available for youth and adult programing

Warm water pool for aqua aerobics and swim lessons in the community

By the way…

None of these were at taxpayer expense.

These donated facilities create the impression Arrowhead’s facilities are amazing. While these specific areas are in great shape, the rest of our buildings are not.

*Donor continues to cover all expenses for the Hockey Rink

How Will This Affect Your Home?

Our community was the TOP destination in Wisconsin largely due to Arrowhead High School and it’s legacy of academics and athletics. This has translated to increased and stable property values. With the vision to keep attracting new families and have AHS graduates continue to move back home, we must as a community invest in our school. Below studies show that a new school can immediately increase your home value by 7-9.6%.

(For example, a $500,000 home with only a 7% increase would now be worth $535,000)

https://ntanet.org/wp-content/uploads/proceedings/2015/021-conlin-differential-impacts-local-tax-referenda.pdf

https://christopherneilson.github.io/work/documents/NZ_JPubE_2014.pdf

https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=14772

As a law enforcement professional and a father of three future AHS students, one of my greatest fears is having an active shooter incident at one of our schools. Incidents like these destroy lives and shatter communities. The current layout of AHS’ campus presents little resistance to intruders and makes it vulnerable to threats. A new building would provide the safest possible learning environment for our students and faculty.

Brad P. - Captain with New Berlin Police Department
I am an AHS graduate and couldn't wait to move back home to raise my family. There is no better place than Lake Country and I look forward to sending my children to a new & safer Arrowhead.

Colleen B.
I am a prior AHS school board member, for 9 years ending in 2004. My two children graduated from Arrowhead, and at least two of my grandchildren will be attending next. I am highly familiar with the facilities and have firsthand knowledge that they are in dire need of replacement. Our kids deserve a top-level school with great instruction plus safe and pleasant features. The proposed new school and related accommodations are long overdue. Moreover, it is well known that high quality school systems translate to more attractive property values. I urge you to vote YES!

John G. - Retired engineer and still engaged
Having one kid just graduated from AHS and one a senior, that facility is long overdue for a major overhaul. It eerily reminds me of Brookfield East when I graduated in 1983. In my opinion, build a new facility and tear down the old, that’s a 30+ year solution. A huge expenditure but the only thing lacking in our community is a state-of-the-art high school. Having one will raise the desirability of living in our area, along with that comes recruiting top notch teachers, better education, and higher resale value of homes for those whose property taxes help fund it.

Mark R. - Real Estate Professional
We have lived in the Arrowhead district for almost fifty years. Our two children attended AHS and received a quality education from dedicated and talented teachers. Both of our children moved back to the community to raise their families, as have many of their classmates. Our four grandchildren will attend AHS in the near future. We have watched the school facilities deteriorate over the years and know that the two-campus system does not support student and teacher safety, which is our biggest concern. Students, staff, and our community deserve better.

Jim and Patti S