Supt. Jamie Benson

We are in the final stretch before the two school referendum questions are voted upon by the School District of River Falls residents on Feb. 20. This column will address a question on the minds of some voters: Why did the district invest in a building for the Renaissance Charter Academy (REN)? 

The REN alternative high school began in 1998 and has served over 1,500 students. This academic year, 55 students in grades 9-12 with unique needs and talents attend the REN.   Among the students at REN, there are nursing assistants, gifted musicians, talented writers and mathematicians, and budding scientists. REN students are technologically skilled and operate computer automated software and robotic cutting tools for vocational training.

Some REN students have a challenging homelife or live in poverty; others have endured significant trauma. Other REN students are credit-deficient and require specialized academic support to gain a high school diploma; while still others need a smaller school in order to thrive academically and socially. All our REN students have particular skills, abilities, dreams and aspirations, and require support to be ready to transition from high school to tech school or college, or get a job, and transition into adult life.

Our district invests in all students. To meet their individual needs we offer special education programs; opportunities for academically gifted students; athletic and co-curricular opportunities; specialized art and music courses; classes in welding, mechanics; business; a mock trial team; and FFA programming. Our district also invests in our REN alternative students.

Since 1998, the REN location has moved several times for a variety of reasons, including most recently, flooding and mold in a rented building. Due to the generosity of UWRF and the City of River Falls, REN students had temporary space first in Hagestad Hall and then in the former police station while the district sought an appropriate permanent home for REN.

The school board and administration considered a wide range of potential options, including: renting a vacant building in the industrial park; adding a wing onto the high school; creating a “school-within-a-school” at the high school; renovating an old factory building; and the list goes on.

Ultimately, after many months of exploration and careful consideration, the district was faced with either discontinuing the REN or making an investment. At a public meeting in August 2022, a public vote was held, and the district decided to continue the REN school under a new lease agreement. The meeting was legally posted and properly announced and those who attended the meeting approved the lease agreement.

Some people have expressed concern that the district spent too much “up-front” money to build the interior of this leased building into a school. To be clear, the district would have paid for ANY building interior to be renovated into a school, regardless of the location (new or existing building). Regardless of which location the school board selected, the district would have been required to make an investment to create classrooms and office space, add safety features, and establish a vocational trades shop area.

The chosen location provides adequate educational space and is in close proximity to the high school which provides flexibility for course offerings and facility sharing, while also limiting costs for transportation and food service. This arrangement meets the needs of 55 REN students while also offering separate opportunities for 1,100 traditional high school students. Is it a costly proposition? Yes. It is costly, just as other school programs, resources, and services are costly. Is it worth it? I guess that is for each of us to decide individually. However, in a district that values each and every student, my answer and the school board’s answer is yes.

Please remember to vote Tuesday, Feb. 20 on the two school referendum questions. For additional information visit: www.rfsd.k12.wi.us.