The closure of two elementary schools in the Manitowoc Public School District is not a decision taken lightly.
The district’s administration presented their recommendations to change the district last night (November 25th) during a special meeting.
Madison Elementary School would be closed and sold, while Jackson Elementary School is being closed and decommissioned.
Superintendent Lee Thennes explained that the district can no longer follow standard procedures amid declining enrollment and rising costs.
“We recognize that no matter which schools were proposed for closure, there would be disagreement and emotion; that’s completely understandable,” he admitted. “But what we’re really looking at here is what’s best for our kids. And our students are depending on us to make decisions that ensure strong, high-quality schools for years to come.”
MPSD Director of HR Stacie Opahle told the board that the plan is to shift 5th and 6th graders to Wilson Elementary Schools, while the 7th and 8th graders would go to Washington Middle Schools.
More information was also given about moving K-4 students from Riverview Elementary School to Stangel School, while the alternative learning programming would shift to the UW-Green Bay Manitowoc campus.
If the consolidation plan is approved, the student population would make elementary schools closer in population than they are right now, with some having more than 300 students, while others are barely above 250 students.
She described options including “Consistent class sizes, improved collaboration for staff, improved PLC opportunities, sharing of students during intervention time is much easier when you’ve got multiple teachers to do that with. And there’s less shifting of staff.”
Thennes also says having the district create an all-day 4K program should help bring families who choose to go outside of the district back, while also increasing elective choices for 7th and 8th grade students as they get into high school.
$6.6 million that was allocated to Madison and Jackson Schools will be used to improve other facilities in the district.
The next steps include suspending the Facility Advisory Committee to implement the school board-approved consolidation plan while deciding which school building projects should begin in winter 2026.
An official closing date has not been announced yet for the two schools.
