PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
MENASHA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With their school year over and their campus now vacant, UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities is beginning to welcome new tenants.
The Menasha Joint School District (MJSD) agreed Wednesday to lease the on-campus childcare center from Winnebago County. The deal is pending approval from the Winnebago County Facilities and Property Management Committee, which votes next Tuesday.
“I always say that what’s good for kids is good for the school district,” said Menasha Superintendent Matthew Zimmerman. “This is obviously good for kids. I think that it’s really good for the school district when kids have high quality early learning experiences. High-quality childcare in a safe, respected environment? Amazing.”
The agreement passed unanimously by the MJSD.
Details on the agreement:
- Only includes childcare center
- One-year lease with provision to renew
- No rent payment upfront
- MJSD covers utility cost
“Menasha had expressed interest in preserving the childcare role that UW had played in Winnebago County,” said Winnebago County Executive Gordon Hintz. “We certainly wanted to support that. The relationship makes sense.”
The county saves money on utility and maintenance costs while keeping ownership of the property.
Details on the childcare center:
- No changes expected
- Currently serves 28 children
- MJSD hopes to increase to 38 children; capacity at 46
- Will retain all 12 employees
- Will collect tuition from families
- Expects center to break even financially
- Existing children will be retained; TBD if open to children outside MJSD afterward
A few months ago, the district nearly came to an agreement to take over the entire campus for just $1 with childcare in mind. That deal is off the table, as operating the childcare center alone proved to be more feasible.
“If the lease works out and we continue to operate University Children’s Center for the long run,” said Zimmerman, “I could see that maybe it would turn into us permanent owning that space.”
Negotiations are underway for the rest of the 43-acre campus. Movement is expected to ramp up once Winnebago County assumes full control of the campus from Outagamie County and the Universities of Wisconsin June 30.
The Barlow Planetarium will continue to operate in its current location. Meanwhile, the Weis Earth Science Museum is relocating to the History Museum at the Castle in Appleton.
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