District Facilities
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The School District of Janesville looks forward to sharing information about improvements to SDJ facilities with the community. This webpage will be updated as projects commence.
Inquiries? Please contact Patrick Gasper, Public Information Specialist, at 608-743-5091 or PGasper@Janesville.K12.Wi.Us.
In November 2020, residents of the School District of Janesville (SDJ) voted to pass two referendum questions critically important to the future of our local public schools. The Board of Education and the SDJ Administration utilized your input regarding how you want your community's schools to function and operate now and into the future.
Facility solutions approved by residents on November 3, 2020 will:
- Ensure a standard for all SDJ buildings with respect to secure pathways/entrances.
- Address the most urgent facility needs (aging facilities, infrastructure) which includes replacing windows, roofs, and boilers.
- Ensure all SDJ school buildings remain open while maintaining current class sizes.
Past Facility Update Documents
Additional Information:
- SDJ Board of Education Statement to the Community
- Safety and Facility Needs Information
- Secure Entryway/Boiler Video
- Engaging the Community, Gathering Input
- FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)
SDJ Board of Education Statement to the Community
The members of the School District of Janesville Board of Education released the following statement after the announcement of the November 3, 2020 election results showing that voters approved both referendum questions to address safety/security/building needs and operational needs of the school district:
On behalf of the School District of Janesville Board of Education, we thank our residents for their consideration of the solution presented to voters through the two referendum questions on November 3.
We are pleased that the board could find a solution that meets the needs of the district. We also appreciated having an open dialogue with individual community members and hearing a variety of views on how to address the opportunities and challenges we face together.
The board will continue its commitment to the educational priorities of the district and to making the most of every single dollar invested by residents into their public schools.
With that, we thank you again for your consideration of the solutions presented that will positively impact our students, schools, and the greater community. We look forward to continued conversations regarding the future of the School District of Janesville.
Best regards,
Members of the School District of Janesville Board of Education
Safety and Facility Needs Information
Improvements to SDJ facilities relate mostly to Question 1 of the 2020 Referendum, which addresses District Safety and Facility Needs.
Question #1: While our district’s buildings have been well maintained, the average age of our schools is 64 years. In addition to regular maintenance, big-ticket items like windows, roofs and boilers need to be replaced. This question focuses on school safety and secure pathways/entrances as well as addressing the most urgent facility needs now. If approved by voters, the impact of the facilities referendum would be a $5 increase in school-related taxes for every $100,000 in assessed value, beginning with tax bills in December of 2021.
The School District of Janesville works hard to make the most of the investments taxpayers make in their local public schools. This includes extending the life of district facilities, stretching the revenue the district receives, and anticipating financial challenges before they affect the district.
In addition to its operational considerations, the district has facility and safety related needs. While all our facilities have been well maintained, the average age of our schools is 64 years. In fact, our newest school, Kennedy Elementary, was constructed more than 20 years ago. The district’s oldest school, Rock River Charter School, is approaching its 140th birthday.
In 2016, the district commissioned a facilities study that focused on its envelope and mechanical systems. The study included a review of the district's mechanical systems, such as boilers, air handlers, electrical systems, windows, and roofs. The report indicated that if all the needed work was done at one time, the estimated cost would be $111.1 million.
It is important to note that the report only addressed fixing existing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, and not making existing space more conducive to modern learning or making schools more safe/secure.
Finally, while the district has an annual maintenance budget, costs for big-ticket items across the district exceed our ability to cover them with the annual budget. To address the costs of most of the items outlined in the facilities report, the district would need permission from the community in the form of a referendum.
The facilities referendum would address issues such as school security, life safety system, and the replacing of outdated mechanical systems like boilers. The impact of the facilities referendum will be a $5 increase in school-related taxes for every $100,000 in assessed value, beginning with tax bills in December of 2021.
Secure Entryway/Boiler Video
Engaging the Community, Gathering Input
- Safety and security;
- Attracting and retaining highly qualified staff; and
- Maintaining small class size.
FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)
- How many square feet and acres does the district maintain?
- Have SDJ residents passed a referendum in the past?
- How much money does the district annually spend on capital maintenance?
- When would I see the tax impact?
- What does the district’s total revenue look like?
- What is the history of the district’s mil rate?
- How does the district’s mil rate compare to the mil rates of other districts in Rock County?
- How does the district’s mil rate compare to the mil rate of like-sized districts in Wisconsin?
- What are the projected mil rates?
- What has the district done to curtail costs over the years?
How many square feet and acres does the district maintain?
The School District of Janesville maintains:
- 12 elementary buildings account for a total 847,553 square feet on 113 acres.
- 3 middle school buildings account for a total of 524,003 square feet on 73 acres.
- 2 high school buildings account for a total of 661,923 square feet on 107 acres.
The district also maintains the Educational Service Center, Rock River Charter School and the Chestnut House totaling under 50,000 square feet and under 3 acres.
In total, the district maintains more than 2,083,000 square feet of property on about 296 acres. This is comparable to maintaining 1,000 homes of 2,000 square feet.
Have SDJ residents passed a referendum in the past?
How much money does the district annually spend on capital maintenance?
On average the district annually spends approximately $1.3 million on capital maintenance and improvement. Defining the distinction between maintenance and improvement is, at times, difficult.
The district defines capital maintenance as a major repair or replacement of existing assets. For example, asphalt replacement, at a particular building is replacing an existing asset, and thus defined as capital maintenance.
Alternatively, over the course of the last four years 2016-2020, the district replaced all existing elementary playground equipment at a cost of $1,604,285 to upgrade the structures, including ADA accessibility. This type of project is an example of a capital improvement.
Since 2013, the district has invested $10,652,599 in capital maintenance and improvement outside of the district’s daily operational budget.
For a school by school listing of capital maintenance and improvement projects beginning in the 2012-2013 school year to the present, please see the SDJ Capital Maintenance Project List.
When would I see the tax impact?
What does the district’s total revenue look like?
The following table illustrates a comparison of total General Operations – Fund 10 revenue between a span of seven fiscal years. Like districts across the state, the School District of Janesville receives support from local taxpayers, the state, and the federal government.
Key:
- Local sources: property taxes, mobile home fees, admissions
- Inter-district sources: open enrollment payments (payments for students from other districts attending school in SDJ)
- Non Wisconsin sources: Janesville International Exchange Program
- State: General Aid, Equalization Aid
- Federal: Title grant funding
- Other: Miscellaneous, items such as worker’s compensation dividend
| Fund Source | 2013-2014 | 2019-2020 | Percent Change | AVG. Change per Year |
|
Local |
$27,688,195 | $29,770,141 | 6.99% | .99% |
|
Inter-district |
$2,661,112 | $4,575,262 | 41.84% | 5.98% |
|
Outside WI |
$0 | $209,091 | 100% | 14.29% |
|
Intermediate |
$7,695 | $74,154 | 89.62% | 12.8% |
|
State |
$68,517,501 | $74,507,509 | 8.04% | 1.15% |
|
Federal |
$5,264,184 | $4,995,566 | -5.38% | -.77% |
|
Other |
$466,303 | $414,164 | -12.59% | -1.8% |
|
Total |
$104,604,990 | $114,545,887 | 8.68% | 1.24% |
What is the history of the district’s mil rate?
How does the district’s mil rate compare to the mil rates of other districts in Rock County?
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | |||||||
| Parkview | $12.23 | Evansville | $13.62 | Parkview | $13.49 | Clinton | $12.24 | Parkview | $12.23 | Beloit | $11.73 | Parkview | $11.42 |
| Clinton | $12.04 | Parkview | $13.35 | Evansville | $13.20 | Parkview | $12.24 | Clinton | $12.04 | Parkview | $11.43 | Evansville | $11.17 |
| Beloit | $11.54 | Clinton | $12.24 | Clinton | $12.24 | Evansville | $11.87 | Beloit | $11.54 | Clinton | $11.27 | Turner | $10.798 |
| Evansville | $11.50 | Turner | $11.88 | Beloit | $11.56 | Turner | $10.62 | Evansville | $11.50 | Evansville | $10.84 | Beloit | $10.30 |
| Turner | $10.26 | Beloit | $11.56 | Turner | $11.00 | Edgerton | $10.05 | Turner | $10.26 | Edgerton | $10.44 | Edgerton | $10.25 |
| Edgerton | $9.96 | Edgerton | $9.87 | Edgerton | $10.09 | Beloit | $9.73 | Edgerton | $9.96 | Turner | $10.26 | Milton | $9.26 |
| Janesville | $8.69 | Janesville | $9.37 | Janesville | $9.59 | Janesville | $9.62 | Janesville | $8.69 | Janesville | $8.51 | Clinton | $9.08 |
| Milton | $8.41 | Milton | $8.50 | Milton | $8.20 | Milton | $9.16 | Milton | $8.41 | Milton | $7.81 | Janesville | $8.48 |
A districts mil rate is calculated by a district dividing the all funds levy by TIF out equalized property values. For example, the 2019-2020 SDJ mil rate calculation is $40,758,519 / $4,804,346,169 = .00848 or $8.48.
For more information, please visit https://ecriss.ecragroup.com/strategy/Home/Index?Dashboard=SCH006
How does the district’s mil rate compare to the mil rate of like-sized districts in Wisconsin?
| 2019-20 | |
| Sun Prairie | $13.06 |
| La Crosse | $11.02 |
| Wausau | $10.79 |
| Sheboygan | $9.75 |
| West Allis | $9.24 |
| Oshkosh | $9.22 |
| Fond du Lac | $8.70 |
| Janesville | $8.48 |
| Eau Claire | $8.28 |
For more information, please visit https://ecriss.ecragroup.com/strategy/Home/Index?Dashboard=SCH006
What are the projected mil rates?
A district’s equalized mil rate is calculated by dividing the total levy by the district’s total TIF out property value. As property values increase and/or decrease, so too does the equalized mil rate, regardless of the levy. Using a conservative increase of 2% in property annual each year for the next five years, the projected and combined mil rate for each question will increase as follows:
| 2020-2021 | $8.48 |
| 2021-2022 | $8.87 |
| 2022-2023 | $9.18 |
| 2023-2024 | $9.39 |
| 2024-2025 | $9.67 |
What has the district done to curtail costs over the years?
| A | B | C | D | |
| 2013-2014 Actual |
2019-2020 Actual |
Increase Over Time = (B-A)/A |
Avg. Annual % Increase = C/7 |
|
| Salaries | $65,348,191 | $72,426,150 | 10.83% | 1.55% |
| Benefits | $25,176,077 | $25,313,172 | .54% | .08% |