HARTFORD, Wis. — Construction is underway at Hartford Union High School following a $26 million referendum that community members approved last November.
Phase one of the construction project has begun, with parking lot work currently in progress.
"The facilities that you have are key to ensuring you have future pipelines not only in that immediate community," Nick Hatton said, "but also extended communities."
Hatton, a parent in Hartford, has questions about the turf field promised in the project's plan, wondering why it is designated for the practice football field behind the school rather than the main varsity field. His oldest son will attend high school this fall and hopes to play football.
Watch: Transparency, security top of mind for parents as construction begins at Hartford Union High
"The decision process as why," he said. "Why wasn’t there more selectivity as far as where that turf would be added? I don’t know, maybe they’re going to add turf to both fields. What made that decision go into play? Specifically if that’s where you play your varsity home games."
Even community members whose children are grown supported the referendum. Sophit Ellenberger emphasized that security improvements were a top priority for her.
"I want the school to get better for our future, our kids’ future and for our new kids growing up," she said. "I want protection for the kids at school... Make sure school is safe for our children."
Other community members have raised questions online about the pool renovations, noting that the new design appears similar to the existing facility.
TMJ4 News asked the district if it would address questions from parents and community members, but representatives said they would only be able to do so at the next Q&A session, not the current one.
No community members attended the Q&A session held Monday night. District representatives acknowledged the challenge of engaging people during the busy summer months but hope to see increased participation as construction progresses.
The next Q&A session is scheduled for July 16 at 5 p.m. in Hartford.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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