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Facility referendum projects at Oconomowoc High School were completed throughout the summer, just in time to start the 2025-26 school year. The summer projects included removal and replacement of the HVAC infrastructure in upper North, upper South, and all of the classrooms accessed by Ocon Ave. and their connected hallways. In addition, windows were replaced throughout the entire building, many classroom and exterior doors were replaced, several light fixtures were updated to energy-efficient LED lighting, a few restrooms that had not been updated for decades were refurbished, the exterior columns supporting the North and South wings were refurbished, and exterior brick maintenance was completed.
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The OHS Fieldhouse lobby has new windows, sound-dampening clouds, and lighting.
Seating areas in Raccoon Runway have new windows, sound-dampening panels, and lighting.
Hallways leading from Raccoon Runway to Ocon Ave. underwent HVAC work during the summer.
Raccoon Runway has new sound-dampening panels and lighting.
Ocon Ave. was one of the focus areas for HVAC replacement over the summer.
Several interior classroom doors were replaced throughout OHS.
The windows were replaced in the North and South walkways at the end of the 2024-25 school year.
The main cafeteria windows were also replaced during the summer.
The exterior columns supporting the upper North and South wings were refurbished as part of the facility project.
Facility referendum projects at OHS have been completed throughout the winter and spring based on the school schedule. The chillers that were installed last year are prepared for use this spring as the weather gets warmer, providing air conditioning for the building. Finishing work is complete on the ceilings in Raccoon Runway which were the focus of the HVAC work during the summer of 2024. The ceiling have been painted, sound-dampening clouds have been hung, and lighting has been installed. The ceiling in the Fieldhouse lobby is near completion with the final sound-dampening clouds and lighting installation underway.
New window installation is complete in the skywalks connecting upper North and upper South and window replacement in additional non-student areas is underway. Window replacements throughout the building will increase once the school year is complete and continue for the summer. Refurbishment of the outside columns supporting the North and South wings has begun with the columns being cleaned and prepared for new outer shells that will prevent continue weather damage.
Ceiling panels in Ocon Ave. and many second floor classrooms were removed in preparation for HVAC work in these areas over the summer.
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Finishing work is complete on the ceilings in Raccoon Runway, which have been painted, sound-dampening clouds have been hung, and lighting has been installed.
The ceiling in the Fieldhouse lobby is near completion, with the final sound-dampening clouds and lighting installation underway.
During the winter break, construction crews worked on several projects at OHS main campus. Ceilings in the main hallway, Raccoon Runway, were painted and trim work progressed above the main staircase. These areas were the focus of HVAC work during the summer of 2024 and finishing work is being done during non-school days this year. Likewise, crews are using non-school days to prepare for the second phase of HVAC work in the areas that are slated for summer 2025 HVAC system updates. Over winter break, that meant the removal of ceiling tiles in the back hallway, Ocon Ave., and several classrooms. This phased project approach is essential to our multi-year project timeline because of the size of the building and the amount of ductwork and piping that needs to be removed and replaced.
Finishing and preparation work will continue during the non-school days this year so that the final stage of the HVAC project can be completed in the summer.
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Ceilings in the main hallway have been painted along with the trim work above the seating areas. Work on the lighting will continue during non-school days this year.
Ceilings in the main hallway have been painted along with the trim work above the seating areas.
Ceilings in the main hallway have been painted along with the trim work above the seating areas. Work on the lighting will continue during non-school days this year.
Trim work on the ceiling above the main staircase is underway. Work will be finished, the ceiling will be painted, and lighting will be completed during non-school days this year.
Ceiling panels in Ocon Ave. and several classrooms were removed in preparation for HVAC work in these areas in the summer of 2025.
Ceiling panels in several classrooms were removed in preparation for HVAC work in these areas in the summer of 2025. The two-year HVAC project has many phases, aligned to non-school days, in order to replace the HVAC infrastructure in the entire building.
Ceiling panels in several classrooms were removed in preparation for HVAC work in these areas in the summer of 2025. The two-year HVAC project has many phases, aligned to non-school days, in order to replace the HVAC infrastructure in the entire building.
Ceiling panels in Ocon Ave. and several classrooms were removed in preparation for HVAC work in these areas in the summer of 2025.
On Saturday, September 21, 2024, the OASD dedicated the new addition at Ixonia Elementary School. Originally built in 1956, portions of Ixonia Elementary School were renovated and expanded as part of a 2016 capital referendum. In spring 2023, voters supported a facility referendum that included another expansion of Ixonia Elementary that includes six new classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, a STEM learning lab, replacement of the gym floor, and replacement of the oldest roof sections on the building. This expansion increases the number of classrooms to provide three rooms per grade level for 4K through fourth grade. There is also additional space for wrap-around childcare for 4K students so that some students can attend 4K for half of the day and receive on-site childcare through the YMCA for the rest of the day.
The new addition at Ixonia Elementary School is ready to welcome students for the 2024-25 school year. The addition features six new classrooms, collaboration spaces for students, small-group instructional spaces, shared classroom library spaces, science and STEM learning spaces, and several staff offices. The gym floor was also replaced during the facility project and the lines are now complete.
Our construction partners worked hard over the summer to remove and replace the HVAC infrastructure in the main office areas, lower North, lower South, the Fieldhouse lobby, the cafeteria, and several non-student mechanical areas. In addition, the 60-year-old boilers were removed and the old HVAC infrastructure from the boiler room was abated and removed. The ceiling grid above the main staircase and Raccoon Runway was removed and will not be replaced this school year because work will occur in these spaces during non-school days. The large scale of this HVAC project requires us to stagger the work over two years, focusing the largest parts of the project on times when school is not in session. Small amounts of work will occur during the 2024-25 school year and the next large phase will happen in the summer of 2025.
Ixonia Elementary School is almost ready to welcome students for the new school year. Flooring is nearly complete with the finishing touches happening over the next few days. Furniture is being assembled and placed in classrooms and common areas in the new addition. Final cleaning is well underway while finishing touches are being completed and exterior landscaping will occur the week before school starts. We're excited to welcome families to Open House on Tuesday, August 27, from 4:00-6:00 p.m.
HVAC project work in the main offices at OHS is complete and the offices have reopened for the school year. Project work in the first floor classrooms and hallways is nearing completion and final cleaning is underway. Main campus will reopen on Tuesday, August 27 for Open House so that students and families can visit classrooms and get familiar with the school.
August 2024
Ixonia Elementary School Addition
The finishing touches are underway at Ixonia Elementary School. Classroom flooring work has begun and final painting is underway in the common areas. The gym flooring has been installed and lines will be added to the floor this week. Exterior landscaping will begin within the week so that school is ready to welcome families and students at Open House on Tuesday, August 27.
Drywall inside the new addition at Ixonia Elementary School is nearly complete and painting in the classrooms and hallways is also nearing completion. Tile work in the bathrooms is almost finished and installation of the new gym floor will begin late this week. Classroom cabinetry has been completed and installation of the hallway cubbies will start within the week. Classroom furniture is expected to arrive and be set up in the next two weeks in preparation for Open House and the start of the school year. Exterior brick work is almost finished and metal paneling installation is ongoing.
Ixonia Elementary staff members had an opportunity to visit school and see the progress inside the new addition. The space is coming together quickly as we approach the new school year!
HVAC work in the designated summer project areas progressed smoothly and quickly. Some areas are complete and ceiling tiles have been installed while other areas are nearing completion. Summer project work will be completed in time for school to resume. Additional HVAC work will continue throughout the school year in areas that do not impact the student learning environment.
The exterior of the new addition at Ixonia Elementary is enclosed and interior framing for the classrooms and spaces is well underway. Drywall work is set to begin within a week. Roofing work on the addition also began at the end of June. Abatement and removal of the original gym floor was completed this week and the new gym floor installation will begin closer to the end of the project.
Demolition work on the first-floor areas of the HVAC summer project plan are complete. Installation of the new ductwork began at the end of June and is ahead of the summer project schedule. The old rooftop units have also been removed at OHS.
The last of the old rooftop units being removed at Oconomowoc High School
June 2024
Ixonia Elementary School Addition
Roofing work on the new addition at Ixonia Elementary School is almost finished and will be completed within the next week. Enclosure of the new addition has begun and will be complete within the next few weeks. Our Ixonia students and staff members had the fun opportunity to conclude the school year by signing one of the pillars in the new addition. Our falcons left a hand-written memento of the 2023-24 school year that will be permanently tucked away inside the new addition.
The OHS summer construction plan has been finalized and the first floor HVAC will be the main focus area for the summer of 2024. A portion of the work in Raccoon Runway will also occur this summer. The second floor will be the focus of construction work for the summer of 2025.
May 2024
Ixonia Elementary School Addition
Plumbers and electricians are working inside the new addition while iron work is completed. Roofing should begin after Memorial Day and both roofing and exterior enclosure of the new addition are on track to be completed near the end of the school year.
Work on the paved path connecting Fireman’s Park and Ixonia Elementary was completed last week. Brinkmann Construction also donated loose stone that was spread in the courtyard area, which will be fully enclosed by the new addition. The Ixonia PTO is brainstorming ideas for the courtyard space for the future.
A group of Ixonia Elementary students earned a special, behind the scenes tour of the new addition on May 21st. They learned about the construction work that has been completed and the work that will occur during the summer so that the new addition is ready for the next school year. Thank you to our friends at CG Schmidt for leading a great tour!
The OHS summer construction plan has been finalized and the first floor HVAC will be the main focus area for the summer of 2024. A portion of the work in Raccoon Runway will also occur this summer. The second floor will be the focus of construction work for the summer of 2025.
Early May, 2024
Ixonia Elementary School Addition
Structural steel for the addition was delivered last week and installation began in earnest. Steelwork will continue into next week before exterior walls start going up. The entire addition is on track to be enclosed before the end of the school year.
The concrete for the foundation is complete and we can see the shape of our new addition. Structural steel will be delivered near the end of this month and installation will begin at the end of April. The exterior of the addition will take shape in May with the goal to enclose the space at the end of the school year.
The HVAC engineering and design plan for the OHS HVAC project are complete and competitive bids for the project work are taking place. The two steam boilers have been removed and the first phase of the roofing replacement project has also begun. Selective demolition of HVAC components in non-student and non-staff areas is expected to start near the end of April.
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The two, 60-year-old steam boilers inside OHS that were removed in March 2024.
The space where two, 60-year-old steam boilers had been. Both boilers were removed in March 2024.
Foundation work on the Ixonia Elementary School addition is complete and the project is on schedule. Concrete pouring will begin this month with a completion goal of late March if the weather allows. Structural steel will arrive at the site next month and installation will begin before the end of April. If the weather allows, the exterior of the addition will begin taking shape in May.
Some of our Ixonia 4K students visited the construction site and talked to our builders. They learned about the equipment being used and also how the construction workers stay safe with their hard hats, hi-vis vests and other safety protocols.
Preliminary work on the HVAC system at Oconomowoc High School will begin during spring break in the non-instructional areas of the building. More extensive work throughout the school will occur during the summer and again the following summer.
February 2024
Ixonia Elementary School Addition
Facility referendum project work at Ixonia Elementary School is progressing on schedule with storm sewer installation almost complete. Footings and foundations for the new addition are underway and work on both will continue throughout February.
Referendum site work for the new addition has started at Ixonia Elementary School. Earthwork and site utility work is underway with contractors removing the topsoil, regrading, and compacting. Before school closes for winter break, contractors will begin the work to relocate the existing storm drain. Foundation work can begin after the storm drain relocation work has been completed and the rebar arrives onsite.
Oconomowoc High School HVAC Project
Design and engineering work continues for the HVAC project at Oconomowoc High School. Coordination discussions and meetings to plan for district-led abatement work and roofing projects have started.
OASD broke ground Tuesday, October 17, 2024, to commemorate the beginning of construction and expansion projects at Ixonia Elementary School. Principal Kelly Boldt and OASD Superintendent Dr. Mike Sereno gave remarks and were joined by CG Schmidt and Bray Architects who are providing construction management and design services.
Originally built in 1956, portions of Ixonia Elementary School were renovated and expanded as part of a 2016 capital referendum. The Ixonia area has grown more quickly than projected and last spring, voters supported a facility referendum that included another expansion of Ixonia Elementary that includes six new classrooms, replacement of the gym floor, and replacement of the oldest roof sections on the building.
This expansion increases the number of classrooms to provide three rooms per grade level for grades 4K through fourth grade. There will be additional space for wrap-around childcare for 4K students so that some students can attend 4K for half of the day and receive on-site childcare for the rest of the day.
“We are grateful for the community's support of expanding Ixonia Elementary School. The expansion will help us accommodate our growing student population and continue to provide exceptional learning experiences for the Ixonia community for years to come. We are excited to get the project underway,” said OASD Superintendent, Dr. Mike Sereno.
“We are thrilled to partner with Oconomowoc Area School District to improve teaching and learning environments for students, staff, and the greater Oconomowoc community,” stated Ryan Schmidt, Project Executive for CG Schmidt. “We believe this work will support student learning and development and sustain the educational goals of the district.”
In addition to the expansion at Ixonia Elementary School, the spring 2023 capital referendum also included the replacement of the HVAC system and the oldest roof sections at Oconomowoc High School (OHS). Planning for the OHS projects began over the summer and work on those projects is slated to begin in the summer of 2024.
Throughout the summer, a team of OASD staff members has been meeting with Bray Architects and CG Schmidt on the design phase of the facility referendum projects. At the September 20, 2023, School Board meeting, Bray Architects shared interior and exterior renderings of the addition to Ixonia Elementary School. Work on the Ixonia Elementary project will begin in October with a groundbreaking mid-month.
Oconomowoc High School HVAC Project
Planning continues for the HVAC project at Oconomowoc High School with the bulk of the project work slated to begin next summer.
A team of OASD staff members, Bray Architects team members, and CG Schmidt team members have been working together on the facility referendum projects at Ixonia Elementary School and Oconomowoc High School.
The Ixonia Elementary project is currently in the design development stage which includes the development of the floor plan for the new addition along with construction timeline planning. The Oconomowoc High School project is in the documentation and schematic design phase which means the team is taking 3D images of the current High School HVAC systems to assess the current layout and begin to plan the layout of the new system.
At their April 2023 regular meeting, the Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD) Board of Education selected C.G. Schmidt as the construction management firm for the facility referendum projects approved by voters on April 4. The approved facility referendum projects include the replacement of the HVAC system and the oldest roof sections at Oconomowoc High School (OHS), replacement of the oldest roof sections at Ixonia Elementary School, expansion of the number of classrooms at Ixonia Elementary School, and replacement of the gym floor at Ixonia Elementary School.
“We are excited to partner with a quality organization like C. G. Schmidt. They have a proven track record of constructing high-quality school facilities within a structured timeline and within budget,” said OASD Superintendent, Mike Sereno.
Of the construction firm selection, OASD School Board member Matt Carrico said, “C.G. Schmidt put together a very nice proposal that will cover the whole scope of the project we’re doing and get across the finish line on time and get us within our budget.”
School Board member Jason Baumann added, “We used an extremely robust process and costs obviously were a factor along with our confidence in the company being able to get what we wanted done in the timeframe we wanted.”
“We are committed to supporting the educational goals of the Oconomowoc Area School District,” stated Ryan Schmidt, Project Executive for CG Schmidt. “We look forward to partnering with the district to create facilities that support student learning and development and serve the greater Oconomowoc community.”
On Tuesday, April 4, voters in the Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD) approved one of the two OASD facility referendum questions on the ballot. Question one passed by an unofficial vote of 54.84% yes and 44.49% no, while question two failed by an unofficial vote of 44.48% yes and 54.68% no.
Question one included projects to replace the HVAC system and the oldest roof sections at Oconomowoc High School (OHS), replace the oldest roof sections at Ixonia Elementary School, expand the number of classrooms at Ixonia Elementary School, and replace the gym floor at Ixonia Elementary School.
Question two included projects to renovate spaces within Oconomowoc High School for the music and arts programs, expand OHS with new cafeteria seating space, and expand OHS with new physical education spaces to replace the spaces being renovated for the music and arts programs.
“Our students and staff are grateful to our community for their support in addressing the infrastructure needs at OHS and the space constraints at Ixonia Elementary School. We will continue to have space constraints at our high school, and our team is committed to exploring all possible avenues to address those needs over the coming months,” said OASD Superintendent, Mike Sereno.
OASD School Board President, James Wood, said, “I want to thank everyone from our community who engaged, became informed, and voted into place our direction in Tuesday's election. Our community has always backed smart, incremental improvements to our district in support of our vision to become an unrivaled learning community. We will continue to work with the resources provided and bring back the opportunities to address capacity and the functionality of our 1965 High School when the support meets the needs.”
The OASD will begin more formal planning for the approved question one referendum projects immediately with the request for proposal process for construction management. Information about the progress of these facility projects will be shared on this page until the completion of the approved projects.
OASD Capital Improvement Plan
The OASD maintains a long-range capital improvement plan in order to proactively plan for future facility maintenance or improvement projects. Our district includes nine school buildings that were built between 1950-2019, making it imperative that we monitor short-term and long-term maintenance and capital improvement needs.
