More than 14 communities across Western Wisconsin will vote on school referendums tomorrow.

Two years ago, voters in Rice Lake rejected a referendum for more than $29 million in renovations by nearly a 2/3 margin.

Tomorrow, the district is trying again, with a similar amount for the voters to consider.

Superintendent Paul Vine says the district needs the money to update current buildings and to construct a new middle school.

He says the old structures lack the space and the proper learning environments they need.

It's just an average lunch time for Jefferson Elementary students.

Students stand in the tiny lunchroom that doubles as a gym, waiting for their meal, food that's not prepared at their own school.

Superintendent Paul Vine says, "Currently two of our elementaries have lunch which are served on trays and are warmed up, which are cooked and made at the high school and delivered to the elementary in the morning and are kept warm in a warmer."

District leaders say Jefferson and Lincoln elementary schools are clearly lacking space.

With the schools being built around 1927, some agree it's time for a change.

Jim Hill says, "My friends' parents went to school here and the schools are the same now as they were then."

Vine says renovations are also needed at the high school.

Vine says, "Our science facilities are originals from 1955, windows are the original and not energy efficient and the furnaces are creating a dust storm."

The superintendent says even the middle school isn't meeting the needs of students.

Vine says, "The library is really small. We also have issues in terms of Special Education students and some of the access for them."

The district would build a new one if the referendum passes.

Vine says the most important aspect of using the money is to eliminate inequities between the different schools.

Vine says, "Handicap accessibility, boys and girl bathrooms issues, gyms that are too small, there's no cafeteria, library spaces that are too small."

Some say they think the updates are needed sooner than later.

Vine says, "They do need to update them otherwise the costs are going up and it's going to cost more in 5 years or 10 years and what are the taxes going to be then."

If the referendum passes tomorrow night, Rice Lake could see the new middle school by the 2010 school year.

Renovations to the high school would be completed in 2009.