MARINETTE (NBC 26) — Marinette voters will have a second chance to weigh in on school improvement projects after a $68 million capital referendum was placed on the November ballot.
The proposal follows voters' rejection of a similar referendum in April 2025. Community feedback helped shape the new ballot question, which would fund upgrades at both the middle and high school.
Superintendent Matt Smith says the previous referendum attempt was not as encompassing in project scope as the November ballot question.
Smith says the projects laid out in the proposal are desperately needed.
"There's only so much that's allocated out of an annual budget to maintain facilities," explained Smith. "And the types of changes and renovations that are needed far exceed that."
Facilities Director Tom Tickler says the schools' aging infrastructure is costly to maintain and poses a threat to students' education and safety.
"We're trying to deal with, you know, obsolete materials. You can't buy parts for them anymore," Tickler said.
Anna Marzahl, a senior at Marinette High School and aspiring physical therapist, says outdated school resources put a limit on her learning.
"When I'm doing labs sometimes, our faucets don't work or we can't turn them on because they leak," Marzahl stated. "In science classes, having out-of-date materials can really be dangerous," she furthered.
Though Marzahl will graduate this spring, she wants future generations to have the best possible educational experience at Marinette schools—and she says infrastructure failures make that difficult now.
"I'm sitting here sweating or I'm shivering in my class, and I'm not really focusing," said Marzahl. "That can be really detrimental to learning."
Tickler says heating and air conditioning replacements are needed at both buildings.
If approved, the referendum would fund the following projects:
Middle school
- Modernize spaces for career and technical education (CTE), art, music and special education
- Remodel classrooms to facilitate student collaboration
- Replace playground equipment
High school
- Replace and expand the HVAC system
- Renovate spaces to meet current safety and ADA standards
- Improve security systems
Watch the full story by Jessica Goska here:
District parent Eric Menor attended an informational session hosted by the school district to learn more about the referendum's potential impact.
"It seems like a worthwhile venture for our community," Menor said.
Marzahl stated that if the referendum passes, she feels the improvement projects could draw students to the school district.
"A lot of bigger schools have up-to-date things," mentioned Marzahl. "For our little, small [high] school, I wish the same."
The proposed referendum would have a corresponding tax impact of $0.47 per $1,000 of property value.
Voters will decide whether to approve the proposal November 3.
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