Waukesha school closures possible, district weighs consolidation plans

Waukesha school closures possible

As many as four Waukesha schools could close, and three other buildings could be sold, as school district leaders outline their consolidation plans.

WAUKESHA, Wis. - As many as four Waukesha schools could close, and three other buildings could be sold, as school district leaders outline their consolidation plans.

Declining enrollment

What they're saying:

The School District of Waukesha board presented four options to deal with declining enrollment and potential plans to reduce the district's building capacity on Wednesday night.

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"Are we doing enough, closing enough?" board member Karrie Kozlowski said.

Each of the four options included shutting down Bethesda Elementary School on the city's west side.

School District of Waukesha

"Bethesda is one that we feel, because of its open-concept nature, is that we would rather repurpose or sell," said Superintendent Jim Seibert.

Dig deeper:

Seibert said a declining birth rate will result in a 2% enrollment drop each year through 2034. The most extreme plan, "Option D," included reconfiguring the entire school district. Four schools would close, and seventh- and eighth-graders would move into the district's high schools.

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"They do it in other districts; the closest one to us is New Berlin. It’s been successful there for many, many years," said Seibert.

By exceeding reduction targets now, the superintendent said the school district could avoid making more cuts in the near future. Its initial goal was a 10-15% reduction in building capacity. Option D would cut it by 22%.

Parents, students shocked

The other side:

Parents told FOX6 News they were shocked when they watched Wednesday night’s school board meeting.

"A drastic cut could cause us to lose a lot more families and students and teachers because of the disruption to the schools," said parent Stephanie Fidlin.

Student outside Bethesda Elementary School, Waukesha

Fidlin, who has children in the district, ran twice for school board. Like many, she’s keeping a close eye on the proposals.

Thursday was the first day of summer vacation. And while summer will always signal change for kids, what happens next could define the district for generations.

Community feedback

What's next:

A decision won’t be made until this fall. Changes would not take effect until fall of 2026.

Seibert stressed that none of the options are set in stone, and the district is looking for community feedback. Information about in-person seasons and online surveys can be found on the district's website.