Wausau School District. MWC file photo.
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau School Board has unanimously approved a plan to close four elementary schools.
Hewitt-Texas, Hawthorn Hills, Lincoln, and Grant will all close after the current academic year, narrowing the district’s elementary footprint from 13 schools to nine. Board members said the move is needed for financial, demographic, and maintenance reasons.
“This is a demographic issue. Families are not having as many kids as they were 15 or 20 years ago. We do not have a large influx of population into this community [that would prove] a demographic shift within this community,” said Board Member John Creisher. “We are not the only district in this state, we are not the only district in this nation that is dealing with this.”
Board Member Joanna Reyes said with a potential referendum question looming in April, closing four schools would be a way to show taxpayers that the board is working to be good stewards of their dollars. “If we were to put a question on the ballot, this would be a great way to show that we are taking steps to be good stewards [for] the community. So they can trust us [with] another referendum.”
The recommendation came from the Elementary Task Force, which met over the last six months of 2024 to learn about the district’s demographics and analyze the current elementary footprint. They also analyzed population data. Pat McKee credited the Task Force with fostering a broad, diverse discussion. “This group welcomed dissenting opinions and looked at things objectively. Not only welcomed the dissenting opinion but encouraged it. In previous groups, those dissenting opinions were not only not welcome, they were not even invited. I think that says a lot about this group in terms of acting professionally and really looking for the best interest of the district.”
Consultant Mark Roffers noted that the task force spent nearly 24 hours in meetings crafting their plans. The district also sent more than 50 emails to members and maintained a public information website.
Population data shows the district has 1,100 empty seats in its 13 elementary schools. That number is projected to grow as high as 1,300 in the next few years. Additionally, two of the schools that will close (Hawthorne Hills and Hewitt-Texas) are located in the most rural areas of the district and have little to no planned residential development within their borders.
Roffers opened the meeting with a 40-minute presentation on the Task Force’s findings. One resident provided public comment before the board took over the discussion.
Board Vice President Lance Trollop said he looked at the plan the same way he would a large capital referendum. “Is this something that I think is a benefit to the district? Does this move us forward? Can I support this? I can and I do support it.”
Trollop also spoke about the timeline, saying he doesn’t see a benefit to waiting nearly 18 months before implementing the change. “There will be some pain with that transition whether that happens next year or two years from now. I don’t think there is a great benefit to voting for something tonight that will happen two years from now- have that just hanging out there.
President Jim Bouche suggested holding off on a vote until the board’s next meeting on Monday, January 13th. But the rest of the board said they didn’t need more information on the proposal and didn’t see value in waiting.
Students in Hewitt-Texas, Hawthorn Hills, Lincoln, and Grant Elementary Schools will be absorbed by other nearby schools including Riverview, John Marshall, Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Lincoln Elementary will be converted to a 4K facility for students on the east side of the Wisconsin River.
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