Arrowhead High School has successfully passed a referendum. November 3, 2020,  was the last day for voters to cast their vote on the referendum. The decision came down to 69 votes in favor of the referendum.

The referendum was proposed to upgrade the technology, infrastructure and facility repairs. In a previous article the proposed referendum was explained. The referendum was approved for five years—$1.7 million each year. In total the referendum would be $8.5 million.

Superintendent Laura Myrah said she was up until 1:00 a.m. on November 4, 2020, waiting for the votes. Myrah decided to take a nap and woke up at 3:40 a.m. to find the results on the Waukesha County election website.

Myrah had a pleasant reaction to the referendum being passed. According to Myrah, the approved budget will make a big dent in the need for repairs and replacements. Myrah said, “I feel pleased and relieved for all of Arrowhead High School.”

The official vote count for the referendum was verified by the Board of Canvassers according to Myrah. “The confirmed count was exactly the same as the original, unofficial vote:  Yes=  11,511   (50.2%)   No=  11,442   (49.8%),” Myrah said.

After the referendum was passed the school board and administration met on November 11, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. to start planning, according to the media release.

Senior Colin Menz said, “I am very excited that the school has been granted the ability to develop the necessities that have been neglected for decades.”

Menz said he was not shocked that there was only a 69 vote difference in favor of the referendum. “Many people are against taxation of any form,” Menz said.

A lot of the changes that will come from the referendum are infrastructure repairs and replacements. The changes are important to the upkeep of the building. Some of the changes listed on the Arrowhead website are replacing the old and leaking areas of roofing, replacing and repairing heating and air conditioning units, and improving stormwater management systems.

According to Myrah, if the improvements were not dealt with soon, people at Arrowhead would notice. There would be issues such as leaking roofs and doorways, improper heating and cooling of classrooms, internet issues, cracks and potholes in parking lots, and flooding problems.

Menz believes he will notice the changes at Arrowhead since the changes deal with the environment and conditions of Arrowhead.

Myrah said she would like to thank the voters for approving the referendum. According to Myrah, the additional revenue will allow the school to prioritize the students and educational programs instead of taking money away from educational programs to fund the changes.

To continue to follow the referendum news Myrah said to check on the Referendum Information Webpage. That is where the progress and expenses will be listed.