‘It’s just scary’: Waukesha School Board discusses more consolidation options 

WAUKESHA, Wis (CBS 58) - The Waukesha School Board voted on and approved a plan on Wednesday night, Nov. 12, that will close Hawthorne and Bethesda Elementary Schools.

The plan is not final, but the district will go forward with the plan after the vote from the board.

The Waukesha School District has been working since early 2025 to find an option to close certain schools to help with a decline in enrollment. 

“It’s really about our decline in enrollment primarily related to the decline in the birth rate,” Waukesha Superintendent Jim Sebert said. 

The two options discussed at the Wednesday night board meeting both would close multiple elementary schools. 

The first plan would close Hawthrone and Lowell elementary schools, the second plan would close Hawthorne and Bethesda elementary schools. 

Parents and students from each school talked to the board in public comment on Wednesday night. 

The concern from the parents and students surrounded the dual language program at Bethesda and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) programs at Lowell. 

Melissa Godina’s seven-year-old daughter was born with stage three microtia, wears hearing aids in both ears, and goes to school at Lowell and uses the DHH programs.

 “When she started here at Lowell within one year she progressed immensely,” Godina said. “I would like to stay in Waukesha, but I am sure with all these cuts I’m not sure where we’re gonna be able to go after if this does go away.” 

Godina also has a two-year-old who was just diagnosed with autism and was planning on getting her involved at Lowell in the early child program they provide. 

“She’s not gonna have those resources that her sister has so it’s going to be a bit of a tough challenge going forward and trying to figure that out and see where she’s gonna be able to go,” Godina said. “It’s just scary.”