WAUWATOSA, Wis. — Wauwatosa School District is considering the closure of Jefferson and Washington Elementary Schools.
Parents and families received a letter from Superintendent Demond Means on Tuesday that says rising maintenance costs and budget constraints are leaving the district without sufficient funds to rebuild the elementary schools in need of repair. The letter states that no definite plans to close the schools have been made, but that final decisions will be made by August 2024.
Wauwatosa parent and Jefferson Elementary PTA President Emily Bilot told WTMJ that parents and teachers were shocked to hear the consideration.
“We’re not happy with the way the communication came out,” said Bilot. “We thought it was pretty vague…We didn’t think the teachers were very supported in this decision or very informed along the way.”
The Wauwatosa School District has a total of nine elementary schools, most of which are easily walkable for students to get to school. Bilot said for several of the elementary schools, nearly 100% of students live less than one mile away.
“One of the things that makes Wauwatosa such a desirable community, that makes us really a top choice in the country is these walkable neighborhood schools,” said Bilot. “That opportunity to be outside and connect with people every single day by walking your kids to school is what makes this a destination for people to move to.”
In a copy of the letter to parents obtained by WTMJ, it states that Jefferson and Washington were two schools marked as needing to be rebuilt during the 2018 referendum process.
“Unfortunately, the community indicated a comfort level of building only four schools (McKinley, Lincoln, Underwood, and Wilson/WSTEM). The deferred maintenance costs and evident physical needs of the buildings have only been exacerbated since the schools were not selected for significant renovations or reconstruction in 2018.”
The letter also says the District is working with the Tosa 2027 Task Force to explore ways to generate additional revenue for maintaining all nine elementary schools. The Task Force is a group of community members, staff members, and other stakeholders that coordinate recommendations for the School Board regarding long-term facility needs, enrollment policies and transportation services.
“Again, please keep in mind that any discussion of school closure is very preliminary at this time, and no final decisions have been made. Once the Tosa 2075 Task Force has developed its recommendation, members of the Task Force will present the recommendations to the Board of Education for consideration in the spring of 2024. Any final decisions will be made by August 2024.”
WTMJ has reached out to Wauwatosa School District for comment but we have not heard back.
