Kenosha Unified School District working to repurpose vacant schools

 

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Kenosha Unified School District is now working with city leaders to turn shuttered schools into affordable housing and more.

Monday evening was busy at the park across from Lincoln Middle School, one of six schools KUSD has now permanently closed as the district faces a $15 million budget deficit.

"They're very old buildings. They're multi-story buildings without elevators. They don't have central air conditioning. They're on extremely small sites," said Patrick Finnemore, facilities director, KUSD.

Moving forward, four of these schools have already been repurposed, including Lincoln Middle School which will become KTEC, EBSOLA which will become the new home of Washington Middle School, Stocker which will become Kenosha School of Language and Vernon that will offer Early Learner and eSchool programs. That leaves the futures of McKinley and Jefferson in question, along with other buildings in the district. KUSD's hoping by joining forces with the city, all buildings can be repurposed sooner.

"There would be a pretty significant risk that sites would sit vacant for long periods of time and that's not something that we want for ourselves. We don’t want it for the city as a whole and we don't want it for those neighborhoods that those schools are in," said Finnemore.

These locations are expected to be included in the initial deal, including KTEC West, McKinley, Jefferson, the Jefferson Annex and Washington Schools, which would all be transferred from KUSD to the City of Kenosha, and KTEC East which would be transferred from the City of Kenosha to KUSD.

"Housing is a huge issue, not just in Kenosha, but all over the area, and we want to be able to provide housing in ensuring that it's affordable housing," said Kenosha Mayor David Bogdala.

And this isn't the first time Kenosha's done this. Beautiful Weiscopf School, just in the last 10 years, has turned into affordable housing, and Bain School is now Kenosha's fire station #1.

"I think one of the things that we're hoping for is that some of this redevelopment provides locations that families that are looking to move into the Kenosha area can move into and bring additional students to our district, which is a benefit to us as well," said Finnemore.

Low enrollment numbers were one criteria that brought on the closures.

"And I'm very thankful to KUSD for helping us actually take care of an issue that benefits all of us, which is providing housing, providing the American dream," said Mayor Bogdala.

"I just think it makes a lot of sense from both of our perspectives," said Finnemore.

The deal still needs to be approved both by the KUSD board and the Kenosha Common Council.