Facility Planning

D.C. Everest is engaged in a long-term facilities planning process in partnership with construction management firm Findorff and architect and engineering firm Somerville.

DCE has established a well-deserved reputation as an innovative leader in education. A critical part of that involves safe and accessible learning environments that meet today’s standards. While we address routine maintenance annually, we have catalogued a number of safety, accessibility and infrastructure challenges at the 75-year-old DCE Junior High that need to be addressed. Further, decreasing enrollment trends and 4K/Early Childhood space constraints have led us to examine how we can better optimize available classroom space as part of this process.

We are currently in Part 2 of the facility planning process — developing facility options based on studies completed in Part 1. Following the February 2026 Board Workshop, the District was charged with exploring in greater depth the DCE Junior High facility planning option that educates grade 9 students at the DCE Senior High and grade 8 students at the DCE Middle School. This includes:

Further development of building plans
Fine tuning site plans to address safety and traffic issues related to student drop-off/pick-up/parking
Examining how best to integrate students and optimize learning and extracurricular experiences.
Determine what portion of the Junior High structure will remain and how it will be utilized (Stiehm Stadium will remain in place)

Further, the District will examine how we can improve the Early Childhood/4K experience within existing plans and budgets, and by optimizing the use of available classroom space. Finally, the District will work to provide the Board with additional information about potential referendum strategies.

As the District moves forward with the facility planning, student, staff, family and community feedback will remain an integral part of the process.

Coming Up

March 24: Connect & Collaborate
April 15: Community Connect
Spring 2026: Staff and parent survey

Information Sessions

Feedback from community members, local organizations and businesses is an important part of our facility study and we would like to hear from you. Please join us as we present findings from the study and potential solutions. If you would like to join us at one of these sessions, please RSVP with Ellen Suckow.

Connect & Collaborate

Business, non-profit, industry representatives
March 24, 2026
7:30 - 9:00 am
DCE Admin Building, 6100 Alderson St.

Community Collect

Community members
April 15, 2026
7:30 - 9:00 am
DCE Admin Building, 6100 Alderson St.

Key Documents

As part of Phase 1, the following studies have been completed.

Educational Adequacy Assessment

Assessed Examined current and potential use of available space for learning across all grades/buildings.

Overall themes

Space capacity: In order to support programming and curriculum, space needs vary and depend on both grade level and the building itself. With the exception of Hatley, the elementary schools have extra capacity for additional students in their buildings. However, declining enrollment shows that these spaces are underutilized.
Space deficiencies at the Junior High: Space deficiencies, such as undersized tech ed, art and science labs, along with building systems deficiencies identified in the Facilities Condition Assessment should be addressed. These deficiencies could be addressed with additions, remodeling, or new construction at the existing site.
Eighth & ninth grade transitions: With eighth and ninth graders currently at their own building, this impacts the educational experience. Moving eighth graders to the middle school and ninth graders to the high school would grant ninth graders an additional year of high school opportunities to advance in academics, athletics, arts, and other extracurriculars.
EC/4K opportunities: The district’s early childhood/4K programming is currently offered on-site (Weston Elementary and Rothschild Elementary) and off-site partner locations. Staff travels to off-site locations, as well as students’ homes to provide EC services. Providing additional programming within district buildings could expand access to more students and has the potential to mitigate traveling done by staff. Remodeling, new construction, or additions are potential ways to address these needs.

For an overview of the findings, you can download the Educational Adequacy Assessment report.

Facility Condition Assessment

Assessed maintenance conditions, educational space opportunities and challenges, and capacity of the DCE Junior High.

Overall themes

Outdated features: Architecturally, the Junior High is fit for continued service, but some key features have not been upgraded to follow ever-evolving building codes. Some examples include
- Basement classrooms without a fire sprinkler system
- Classroom doorways without accessibility clearances
- Restrooms with narrow entrances, unprotected from the corridors
Piping issues: There are several lengths of both storm and sanitary piping that should be lined due to failure. Pipe elevations are additionally deep and do not allow for replacement, and there are portions of supply piping that are not insulated or labeled, making it difficult to identify their function.
HVAC needs: The majority of the HVAC systems were replaced six years ago and are in good condition, and don’t need replacing. There are, however, some packaged rooftop systems, roof exhaust systems and/or their components that were not replaced, which will likely require replacement in near future, even though they have been maintained well. Some concerns with the Weight Room air handling system were noted, as areas of the building have issues controlling a satisfactory temperature.
Electrical fixes: Most electrical systems at the Junior High are in good to fair condition, though a few electrical panels should be replaced soon. Security cameras and card access systems are scheduled for replacement, and upgrading some lighting systems and controls are also recommended.

For an overview of the findings, you can download the Facility Condition Assessment report.

Enrollment Study

Conducted by UW-Applied Population Lab to provide future enrollment trends and projections.

Highlights from the study are as follows:

From 2010 to 2020, as measured by the decennial Censuses, the number of households with children in the district decreased by 281.
Overall, trends in births and kindergarten classes have been decreasing. Recent trends have been decreasing more rapidly than long-term trends for births and kindergartners.
Overall 4K -12th enrollment is projected to range from 5,541 to 5,666 in five years (the 202930 school year), a numeric change of approximately -267 to -142 students and percentage change of -4.6% to -2.4%.
The elementary school classes are projected to range from 2,222 to 2,306 in five years, a decline of 207 to 123 or-8.5% to -5%.
The middle school classes are projected to range from 815 to 838 in five years, a decline of 47 to 24 or -5.5% to -3%.
The junior high school classes are projected to range from 863 to 872 in 2029-30, a growth of 5 to 14 or +0.6% to +1.6%.
The high school classes are projected to range from 1,312 to 1,331 in five years, a decrease of 48 to 29 or -3.5% to -2%.

For an overview of the findings, you can download the Enrollment Study report.

February 2026 Board Workshop Highlights

Timeline

February 2026 - Facility planning update sessions for DCE Junior High and Early Childhood/4K leadership and staff
February 2026 - Facility planning board workshop; Board instructs District to explore in greater depth the DCE Junior High option that educates grade 9 students at the DCE Senior High and grade 8 students at the DCE Middle School. Further, the District will examine how to improve the Early Childhood/4K experience within existing plans and budgets by optimizing existing available space. And the District will provide the Board with additional information and strategies concerning a potential referendum.
January 2026 - Facility planning update at DCE Administrators meeting
October 2025 - Host DCE Junior High staff listening session
September 2025 - Tour and interview leadership at Idea and Odyssey Elementary; host Superintendent’s Student Advisory listening session and Early Childhood staff listening session
August 2025 - Tour and interview leadership at Rothschild Elementary, DCE Junior High; interview DCE Junior High and Senior High Athletic Directors and Director of Buildings and Grounds, School Nutrition and Special Education
July 2025 - Tour and interview leadership at Hatley, Weston and Evergreen Elementary, DCE Senior High; interview Director of Teaching and Learning
June 2025 - Tour and interview leadership at DCE Junior High, DCE Middle School and Mountain Bay and Riverside Elementary
May 2025 - 4K leadership tour and interview

Facility Planning Updates

February 2026

The district and planning team met with the Board on February 16 to share facility options and cost budgets for Early Childhood (EC)/4K and the Junior High. Discussion on these options revolved around central topics, such as:

What's best for students
Fiscal responsibility
Preserving DCE's high standards (DCE's "essence") and offering families quality choices
Aging infrastructure at the Junior High

The Board also discussed potential options surrounding a pool, which is approaching the end of its service life. These options are being looked into further by the district, Findorff, and Somerville. The Board also stated that the District could explore a potential referendum, and asked to be provided with options, ideas and strategies.

Following the Board workshop, district leaders held additional meetings with EC/4K, Middle School, Junior High, and Senior High staff throughout the rest of the month. Conversations will continue with staff in the coming weeks, leading up to a Parent and Staff Survey in April.

December 2025/January 2026

The end of 2025 and start of 2026 have been busy with facility planning work and new milestones.

In December, preliminary options were finalized with the district, consisting of three options for the DCE Junior High and four Early Childhood/4K options. Somerville issued these options to Findorff to price. The options and cost budgets were shared with administrators on January 26 and will be brought to the Board during the February 16 Board workshop.

The January 26 admin meeting incorporated time for questions and feedback. Good discussion ensued, covering topics like the importance of considering operational costs for each option (in addition to upfront construction costs), impacts to the D.C. Everest learning experience, traffic and parent pick-up and drop-off considerations, and additional ideas to explore.

November 2025

The Core Team met in person on October 6 and discussed what 4K/early childhood could look like in terms of capacity at each of the elementary schools.

At the November 3 Core Team meeting, Findorff shared facility condition pricing at the Junior High. Preliminary budgets for capital maintenance were discussed, with estimates shown by category (building envelope and roofs, interiors, site, and systems), as well as by priority (most critical to least).

Somerville provided high-level concepts that covered a range of scenarios and outcomes for the Junior High and early childhood/4K programming. Great dialogue amongst the team helped begin to refine some of the ideas, as well as consider new potential solutions.

The team rounded out the meeting with discussion on Guiding Principles. Drafting these principles and defining “D.C. Everest Standards” will guide the option development process, continuing to prioritize the district’s values and how to best support teaching and learning.

Following the Core Team’s meeting on November 3, Somerville reviewed preliminary options with Junior High and 4K/Early Childhood (EC) admin, and gathered initial feedback.

Junior High - November 12
Somerville shared four main options, ranging from renovations and addressing capital maintenance to closing the building, as well as building new. Additional ideas were brought forth for discussion, including a large group space and/or additional conference room, football/locker room location, and relocating student services.

4K/EC - November 20
Somerville presented seven options, and discussion included considerations such as keeping the 4K/EC team together, working with community partners, and neighborhood schools. Aspects related to teaching and learning were also identified, like sensory spaces and sharing resources/tools.

September 2025

Junior High Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) work has continued with report preparation and project estimating. The Somerville and Findorff team members have had regular meetings to discuss and review their findings.

A District-wide educational adequacy assessment is continuing with Somerville meeting with students and staff for listening sessions to gather input on all aspects of the District’s buildings.

On September 24, Somerville met with the high school Superintendent’s Student Advisory (SSA) members. The students provided valuable feedback about the junior and senior buildings, as well as their thoughts on the transition from junior to senior high.

August 2025

Junior High Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) work has been continuing with additional site investigation. The Somerville and Findorff team members have had regular meetings to discuss and review their findings.

District-wide Educational Adequacy assessment is continuing with Somerville meeting with Principals and Directors, including Special Education, School Nutrition Directors, and Building and Grounds to gather information on all aspects of the buildings.

July 2025

Electronic surveys were sent out to Junior High staff (47 responses) and 4K staff (10 responses) before they left for summer break to gather feedback on how current educational spaces were meeting their needs.

Junior High Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) kicked-off with a site investigation visit on June 23, 2025. Somerville and Findorff team members visited the school to investigate the building infrastructure and systems.

District-wide Educational Adequacy assessment is underway with Somerville having met with Principals and toured schools on May 22, June 23, June 26 and July 10.

The District also received a final report from the UW-Applied Population Lab providing an analysis on future enrollment that will support long-range planning efforts.

Next steps

The remaining school tours, site investigation and staff meetings will occur in July, August and September, which will support the Learning & Exploring phase of planning.

Background

In fall 2024, the DCE District identified three key challenges impacting our facilities that required exploration.

Enrollment decline during the past 10 years
4K/Early Childhood space constraints within elementary schools coupled with decreasing community partner sites
Aging infrastructure at the DCE Junior High

To explore these challenges and determine the most cost-effective use of our facilities, DCE partnered with construction management firm Findorff, architect and engineering firm Somerville and the Applied Population Laboratory of the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a series of facility and enrollment studies. These studies were used to provide the District with the information needed to explore all available options and ensure we can provide DCE students with safe learning spaces while being fiscally responsible.

In conducting this work, DCE and its partners have examined current facility needs and future educational needs based on:

Capital costs and needs
Operational costs and needs
Academic outcomes
Learning and school experience

Key Players

District leadership
Findorff
Somerville
UW Madison Applied Population Lab
PTMA Financial Solutions
Focus groups:
- Early Childhood/4K staff & leaders
- DCE Junior High staff & leaders
- Superintendent's Student Advisory
Facility planning and communication core group:
- Somerville
- Findorff
- DCE Superintendent
- DCE Assistant Superintendent of Learning
- DCE Assistant Superintendent of Operations
- Director of Buildings and Grounds
- Coordinator of Communications

Photo Gallery

FAQs: Facilities Process

What is educational adequacy?

An educational adequacy assessment looks at how the building and site support teaching and learning needs in a modern learning environment. This assessment is completed through observation, tours, admin interviews, and staff surveys and listening sessions. The assessment for D.C. Everest focused on the Junior High building and space for EC and 4K programming in the district.

What is a facility assessment?

Why did D.C. Everest complete facility condition and educational adequacy assessments?

In fall 2024, the DCE District identified three key challenges impacting our facilities that required exploration.

Enrollment decline during the past 10 years
4K/Early Childhood space constraints within elementary schools coupled with decreasing community partner sites
Aging infrastructure at the DCE Junior High

To explore these challenges and determine the most cost-effective use of our facilities, DCE partnered with construction management firm Findorff, architect and engineering firm Somerville and the Applied Population Laboratory of the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a series of facility, educational adequacy and enrollment studies. These studies were used to provide the District with the information needed to explore all available options and ensure we can provide DCE students with safe learning spaces while being fiscally responsible.

Who completed the facility condition and educational adequacy assessments?

The District underwent a competitive process to identify facility planning partners to complete the study. A request for proposals was sent out, leading to a few candidates that were brought in for an interview. From the interview process, Somerville, an architect firm, and Findorff, a construction management firm, were selected.

Somerville completed the facility condition and educational adequacy assessments. Findorff then analyzed their findings for the facility and site conditions.

What are the differences between the DCE Early Evergreens, 4K and Early Childhood program?

DCE Early Evergreens is an umbrella program designed to help young students develop social and academic skills to prepare them for the elementary education classroom. As such, we offer the following:

4K program. This program provides high quality, developmentally appropriate learning experiences for four-year-old children. Our early childhood professionals provide a safe and nurturing environment in which children can explore their interests and develop social and emotional skills, critical thinking, creative and academic skills to help them become life-long learners. The program provides ample opportunities for families to participate in the 4K program as part of the learning process.
Developmental screenings for all students ages 3 to 5 who are not in a DCE 4K or Kindergarten program.
Early Childhood Special Education program. To ensure all children can begin their learning experiences with the resources they need, the DCE Early Childhood Special Education program offers special education interventions for students with identified disabilities. These services are available for children between the ages of 3 and 5 who are not attending a Kindergarten program and live within the DCE District. This process starts with a comprehensive developmental evaluation to determine eligibility for services.

What are D.C. Everest’s enrollment trends?

FAQs: Wisconsin School Finance

How much of a resident’s taxes goes toward funding the District?

How is a property tax amount calculated?

The primary factor in determining a homeowner’s property tax is the valuation of the property. To determine the exact amount, the total estimated fair market value is multiplied by the tax levy rate from the school district and is then reduced by the school levy tax credit from the state. Learn more about how taxes are calculated by reviewing How to Read a Tax Bill.

Why doesn’t the district’s operating budget cover our facility needs?

All public school districts in Wisconsin work within revenue limits that restrict how much revenue a district is able to collect each year through state aid and the tax levy. The District must balance expenses for staff compensation, employee benefits, utilities, insurance, building maintenance and other services within this revenue limit. There is no specific source of state funding for capital improvements, therefore the District must manage building costs within their regular operational budget.

Our District has established a Long-term Capital Improvement Trust Fund (Fund 46) to responsibly plan and save for future facility needs. However, since 2011, per pupil revenue increases have not kept pace with inflation for Wisconsin schools, making it more difficult to fund prioritized needs for both facility maintenance and operations within the District’s annual budget.

Large capital projects (building replacements, major renovations, additions) normally aren’t paid for out of the operating budget for schools in Wisconsin. Instead, districts ask voters to authorize borrowing through a capital (issue debt) referendum.

When did the community last approve a DCE referendum?

How was the Greenheck Turner Community Center funded?

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Facility Planning

Coming Up

Spring 2026: Staff and parent survey

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