As the school year wraps up, Wausau School District administrators are wrapping their heads around how to deal with enrollment and maintenance issues.
The Facilities Utilization Task Force has made some preliminary recommendations after hours of research.
Task Force members comprising of teachers, parents, administrators and school board members, have come up with two options they believe should be studied further to deal with facility needs.
Issues include enrollment changes, finding adequate instructional spaces, capital improvement and technology connectivity.
"One of our needs is looking at balancing out enrollment across the district in hopes that students that are in a neighborhood can actually attend their neighborhood school," said Dr. Kathleen Williams, the superintendent of schools.
Because some elementary schools are bursting at the seams with students and others are under enrolled, the first option is to consider closing A.C. Kiefer Educational Center. Early education students would transfer to other existing schools.
A.C. Kiefer also has more than $2 million worth of maintenance issues that should be addressed, including a leaky roof.
Also part of the first option, is closing Hewitt-Texas Elementary School, which is not at full capacity. Those students would be transferred elsewhere, possibly to Stettin Elementary School. Board members could also decide to pursue building a new elementary school.
Option two asks board members to study the possibility of realigning district grade levels, by moving 5th graders from their elementary schools up to the two middle schools.
Dr. Williams says the Task Force recommendations are preliminary and will be studied further over the next year.
"They knew a lot more studying, a lot more parent involvement, community involvement needed to be had," she said.
The district must still research how the district will finance the options.
