Wausau School Board approves bleacher storage addition and community education room at Wausau West

The Wausau School District Board voted Nov. 11 to add a storage addition for bleachers and convert an existing storage room into a community education room at Wausau West, approving the work as part of the district’s ongoing capital-referendum construction schedule.

A Nexus representative said the current construction cost for the package is about $1,169,000 and that incorporating the work into existing summer construction would be the most efficient approach. “The current construction cost is closer to $1,169,000,” the presenter said while reviewing the budget update.

Board members raised safety and sequencing questions. One committee member said the proposed bump-out could create a blind spot near gym doors and recommended adding a camera; the presenter said staff would check that a camera could be included. The chair and other members agreed the project makes sense now that several projects have come in under budget, allowing the district to restore scope that had previously been removed.

A board member made the motion to approve incorporating the storage addition and community room into the Wausau West work; the motion passed by voice vote.

The board’s action restores the community education space as originally intended in the 95% design and provides dedicated storage for field-house equipment, which presenters said has no other suitable location in the building. The district will begin the storage addition in December 2024 and aim to start the community education-room work in June 2025 to finish that summer, staff said.

The board did not provide a roll-call tally in the minutes beyond the motion carrying. The district will return to the board if any substantial changes to cost or schedule occur.