Ensuring AFASD Supports Our Youth for Generations to Come
Like many Wisconsin school districts, the Adams-Friendship Area School District (AFASD or A-F) is facing financial pressures due to factors including declining enrollment, low state aid, state revenue limits without annual CPI (inflation) increases, aging buildings and more. But our district is resilient, passionate and working diligently to cut costs wherever we can, implement operational efficiencies, and focus funding on student instruction and opportunities.
Due to the state’s funding formula and two-year freeze on equalized aid to districts, A-F will need to seek voter approval in 2026 to renew its operational referendum. The district last year cut about $600,000 from its budget and is studying every budget item, from transportation to toilet paper. Even if voters renew an operational referendum, more cuts will need to be made.
Grade Realignment and School Consolidation
Our Board of Education took action in December 2025 to help ensure A-F is here for generations to come, by reducing our costs and focusing our funding on student instruction. Board members voted 8-0 to move all students out of the existing A-F Middle School over the next two school years and consolidate our operations from three to two school buildings — without the high school addition that voters rejected in April.
- Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, 7th and 8th graders and staff will move from the middle school to the high school, making a new home in unused space in our district’s newest building.
- What this means: current 6th, 7th and 8th graders will all move together to the high school building next fall. Current 5th graders will stay in the middle school and be joined by current 4th graders moving up next fall.
- Starting in the 2027-2028 school year, 5th and 6th graders and staff will move out of the middle school. The School Board will determine where they will move after reviewing district enrollment trends and school capacities.
- Based on current enrollment trends, 6th graders likely would move to the high school building and 5th graders to the elementary school, moving to a 4K–5 and 6-12 grade configuration. Instead of building an addition to accommodate this, the district is investigating the potential of using relocatable classroom trailers.
We know our families and staff may have many questions about how this will be implemented. We are committed to doing everything we can to support each other to make this transition as easy as possible for our Green Devil community.
Consolidating into two schools will save more than $2 million annually in district operating costs and at least $9 million in building repairs over the next decade to the middle school. Much of the operational savings will come from staff reductions; however, the district will do all it can to achieve reductions through attrition and assignments.
Path Forward Planning Team
In April 2025, Adams-Friendship voters rejected a capital referendum to build a $22 million addition to the high school to consolidate operations into two campuses: 4K-3 and 4-12.
In May, we invited community volunteers to serve on a PATH FORWARD planning team to address growing budget deficits without devastating budget cuts or larger operational referendum requests. About 40 residents raised their hands to volunteer, with about 25 regularly attending the meetings from June 2025 through November 2025.
The team reviewed about eight options and narrowed them to three options that were presented on December 8, 2025 to the School Board. All three options proposed vacating the current middle school with differing timelines:
- Option #1: Seek voter approval for a revised $12 million to $14 million capital referendum to build a less expensive high school addition without a gymnasium for middle school students.
- Option #2: Move 7th graders to the existing high school in 2026-2027; 8th graders to the high school in 2027-2028; and 5th and 6th graders to locations to be determined in 2028-2029.
- Option #3: Move 7th and 8th graders to the existing high school in 2026-2027; and 5th and 6th graders to locations to be determined in 2027-2028. This was the option the School Board unanimously adopted by an 8-0 vote.
District and school leaders will now work to prepare for these transitions, and we will keep the community informed.
We have launched weekly #FinanceFriday posts on our district Facebook page to increase transparency and understanding of district finances, funding and stewardship.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me any time at wermuth_t@afasd.net or 608-339-3213, ext. 1015.
With Adams-Friendship pride,
Tom Wermuth
Superintendent
