WEST BEND, Wis. — Washington County is one step closer to finding a use for the old UW-Milwaukee campus, which is currently sitting empty.
The county task force met for the first time Monday night to discuss eight different organizations interested in the property. Two candidates submitted budgets that put them at the top of the list.
“Speed is of the essence,” county task force chair Scott Henke said. “I don’t think there’s any reason we have to reinvent the wheel. We have applications that have come in, and we’ll look at those and go with what we need.”
Watch: Charter school and Wash. Co. superintendents interested in empty UWM campus
The top two candidates are a charter and arts K-12 school and a group of local public school superintendents who banded together to show interest in turning part of the building into a college/career preparation facility.
“We want to make sure everything is sustainable, that they have organizational skills, and that they can manage the building,” Henke said. “The last thing the county executive wants to do is manage a building.”
Alumni Dan Stoffel attended the meeting and said the school's future is important to him.
“I just have a soft spot in my heart for that campus,” he said. “It served me well.”
He liked the idea of combining the space for educational purposes.
“In 10 years, secondary high school is going to be totally different than it is today,” he said. “Charter schools have a place, and if they can serve a public need, they will be fortunately productive.”
The task force's goal is to finalize a plan by June 1st. The next public meeting is at the old campus on April 3rd at 6 p.m.
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