Medford board approves plan to seek up to $29.91M in bonds, calls April 5 referendum

The Medford Area Public School District Board of Education on Jan. 24 approved an initial resolution authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $29,910,000 and directed the district clerk to call a referendum on April 5, 2022.

The bonds are proposed to fund a school addition and improvement project at the high school — including a secure entry and office, classroom additions, student services and cafeteria space — plus district‑wide capital maintenance and site improvements, Americans with Disabilities Act updates, and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment. The board approved the initial resolution (motion Zuleger/Hallgren) by roll call vote 9–0.

On the same vote the board adopted a companion resolution directing the district clerk to publish notices in The Star News, prepare the official ballot in accordance with Wisconsin statutes, coordinate with municipal clerks for absentee and specimen ballots, and notify the Department of Public Instruction with copies of the initial resolution and, after the election, the results. The resolution lays out canvass procedures and requires that the district’s board of canvassers certify results in public session no later than the Tuesday after the election.

Board members did not identify a financing plan beyond the general obligation bond authority in the adopted resolution; the motion and the resolution specify statutory steps and publication/timing requirements but do not set interest, repayment schedules, or final borrowing amounts beyond the $29,910,000 cap. The resolution cites Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes and cross-references statutory ballot and election provisions to be followed in preparing notices and ballots.

Next steps include publication of the Notice to Electors and sample ballot in The Star News as specified in the resolution, municipal clerk coordination on absentee ballots, and the district clerk's 10‑day notice to the Department of Public Instruction. If approved by voters on April 5, the board would be authorized to issue bonds under the terms set by the initial resolution.