By Heather McDonald

The Stevens Point Area Public School District could conduct more than $25 million in maintenance on nearly half its school buildings beginning next year.

And it will cost each taxpayer about 10 cents a year – total.

Deteriorated piping at Stevens Point Area Senior High School will be replaced as part of the Act 32 revenue limit exemption, along with several other top priority projects across the district.
(Portage County Gazette photo)

“This is less than half the projects that need to be done that would have qualified,” said Business Director Tom Owens. “We just prioritized as critically as we could so we didn’t impact the tax levy.”

School Board members voted unanimously Monday, Oct. 23, to approve an initial resolution to borrow the funds under Act 32, a state revenue limit exemption for projects that have an energy-savings component, before the provision is stricken from the state budget. Gov. Scott Walker recently line item vetoed the measure, resulting in the exemption’s elimination beginning Jan. 1, 2018.

The vote Monday included calling for a public hearing on the matter; that is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7.

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