This is breaking news and will be updated as additional information becomes available.
La Crosse, Wisconsin (WXOW) – Tonight’s vote by the La Crosse School Board means one of its middle schools will be closed.
The board voted 6-2 to close Lincoln Middle School at its Monday night meeting.
The closure will take place on August 31, 2023.
Board of Directors Juan Jiménez, Treasurer Shawndell Spivey, Secretary Brenda Leahy, Katie Berkedal, Laurie Cooper Stoll and Meridez Garcia voted in favor of closing. was.
Voting against the closure were Vice President Brad Quorberg and Annie Baumann.
Due to the closure, students will attend one of the other schools within the Longfellow Middle or Logan Middle school districts, depending on where they live.
Before and after the district’s failed referendum last fall, Dr. Aaron Engel said declining enrollment and declining revenues from the state would lead to building consolidation.
At Monday night’s meeting, Engel reiterated the same point and the maintenance costs of keeping the nearly 100-year-old building functioning.
Angela Manke, a Lacrosse resident and mother of a Lincoln middle school student, said the results were expected but still heartbreaking.
“It’s sad. Unfortunately, it’s not unexpected,” Manke said. “We just keep moving forward. No one wants to see the school fail. I hope you see that as trying to fight them, we may have had a different vision of how the school district should move forward, but that’s what we do to support our students. It doesn’t mean I haven’t.”
The Board also decided to approve the April referendum question on non-recurring operating expenses of $60 million over six years.
The funds will be used to support inflationary increases in teacher salaries and to support current services due to state shortages.
If approved, that would represent an increase of $29 for every $100,000 in home prices.
Monday night’s board meeting can be viewed below.
