The Janesville School Board votes to hire a consultant to help them with referendum planning, but not without dissent and not without members making it clear they weren’t sure whether they would ultimately support a referendum.
Board members voted 8-1 to hire the Donovan Group, a Milwaukee-based firm that specializes in school communications. Kevin Murray voted no.
Hiring the company will cost $30,000 plus printing and postage for surveys.
The district is considering a referendum to help pay for some or all of its maintenance needs. A report from Unesco, a Madison-based management company, outlined an estimated $130 million in projects for needs ranging from replacing boilers to asbestos abatement. Of those projects, Unesco classified about $77.84 million worth in “alert” or “alarm” categories.
