Lake Geneva Badger High School Referendum

The existing Badger High School faced significant challenges due to its aged 1958 portions, including old roofing sections, inadequate technology, and facilities that no longer met modern standards. These issues impacted the school’s ability to provide a safe, secure, and comfortable environment for students, staff, and the community, leading to unused areas and students leaving and enrolling in other area districts.

To address these problems, we helped identify a $6 million renovation and expansion project, funded by a referendum which successfully passed. Some of our tactics that led to the referendum passing during the global pandemic were:

• Community Engagement and Education: We assisted with presentations, information sheets in English and Spanish, social media efforts and more, ensuring that all stakeholders and community members were well-informed.
• Strategic Communication: We produced a communication calendar to use during the campaign that included the distribution of 1,500 flyers, yard signs, designed banners for outside each school, news articles, and regular posts on social media.
• Targeted Outreach: We assisted in the organization of community education pages and scheduled community events to provide detailed information about the referendum. This included presentations at local events and direct communication with families and staff.
• Consistent Messaging: We helped maintain a consistent message across all platforms, emphasizing the benefits of the referendum and the fact that it would not increase taxes for residents.
• Personal Touch: On the day of the vote, we sent out reminders via social media and school messenger to encourage voter turnout. This personal touch helped ensure that the community felt involved and motivated to participate in the voting process.

The renovation included replacing the oldest roofing sections, upgrading technology, and remodeling key areas of the school. Specific improvements involved the cafeteria, main gymnasium bleachers and flooring, lobby area, restrooms, and the kitchen. Additionally, the project addressed code, maintenance, and ADA issues throughout the 1958 portions of the building. Upgrades were also made to the auditorium, LED lighting, and athletic facilities.

Throughout the construction process, close communication with the district and community was kept, ensuring minimal disruption to school and community activities. The project team worked diligently to maintain a safe and functional environment for students and staff.

The newly renovated and expanded Badger High School now offers better use of space, attracting students and providing a more efficient, secure, and comfortable environment.