HLWW middle school: renovate current building or build new?

For an active poll on what to do with the HLWW Middle School, click here.

As the opportunity for voters to voice their opinions on the future of the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Middle school approaches Nov. 4, the school board is working to educate the public on the issues.

To sum up the issues, the HLWW middle school is in need of many expensive repairs, that would cost a minimum of 7.1 million dollars. These repairs are needed due to the aging building which approaches 80-years-old, with the most expensive updates relating to poor air quality, heating and cooling systems, plumbing, energy management and ventilation.

The district is able to acquire the funds for these repairs without voter approval, but because the cost of building a new middle school would be approximately the same as the cost of renovations, and is viewed to be a better financial investment, the school board is asking voters: Should the middle school be updated, or should a new middle school be built, which would be attached to the new HLWW high school.

Both options would have a tax impact on local residents.

Simply put, voting “yes” on the ballot Nov. 4 will mean that a new middle school will be built and added on to the HLWW high school. Voting “no” will mean that funds will be invested into the current middle school.

For more information on the issues, read the article “Future of HLWW middle school is up to voters, Nov. 4″, on the front cover of this week’s issue of the Herald journal.