The Barlow Planetarium in Menasha. PC: Fox 11 Online
MENASHA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Menasha school district is in discussions to open child care facilities on the current University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Fox Cities campus.
In a news release Friday, district officials said in addition to the child care facilities, the district would preserve the Barlow Planetarium, Weis Earth Science Museum space, community gardens and Communication Arts Center.
In the statement, the Menasha district said:
Currently, the limited availability of quality childcare within our district poses significant challenges. The recent closure of a childcare facility, coupled with the impending closure of UW-Fox, threatens to further diminish these options. This scarcity, combined with the rising cost of childcare due to state funding cuts, forces many parents to make the difficult choice between their careers and their children’s well-being.
UW-Oshkosh plans to close the Fox Cities campus after the current academic year. Outagamie and Winnebago counties jointly own the land and buildings, and it was not clear in the news release whether the Menasha school district was proposing to purchase the property.
The school district said it would keep the community updated as discussions continued.
The History Museum at the Castle in downtown Appleton has also been in talks to take over the operations of the Weis Earth Science Museum.
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