MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Manitowoc Public School District will close Jackson and Madison Elementary Schools as part of a major restructuring plan.
This restructuring will save the district a one-time amount of $6.6 million from current building projects for the two schools, plus about $2 million per year from staff cuts. The district plans to lay off 12 teachers and 32 support staff as part of the restructuring.
Highlights:
- Leaves Manitowoc with four elementary schools: Stangel, Jefferson, Monroe and Franklin
- Wilson will now serve 5th and 6th graders
- Washington will serve 7th and 8th graders
- Riverview Elementary will become an early learning center and expand to 4K
MPSD projects a $900,000 deficit for 2025-26 — an amount that’s growing each year. An operational referendum in which taxpayers give the district $13 million in 2025-26, followed by $15 million and $17.5 million per year, will expire after the 2027-28 school year.
“If you looked at our average size of our schools, we’ve lost three schools’ worth of kids over those 25 years,” said Superintendent Lee Thennes. “And frankly, we’ve still been operating the same. So, this is a step forward in making sure our district is right-sized to our size and that we’re educating kids efficiently and effectively.”
The vote passed 4-3 Tuesday night, with dissenters including School Board President Biff Hansen.
“It was hard because I’m a neighborhood school guy,” said Hansen. “But I understand the financial implications of keeping all the schools open. So, very difficult. I still have some questions on the money aspect, so that’s why I voted no.”
The district expects to implement the changes for next school year, 2026-27.
“It doesn’t matter what building we go to school in. We have great staff members and high-quality teachers working with our kids,” said Thennes.
Districts statewide are struggling with budget deficits, including Northeast Wisconsin districts like Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac and Menasha.
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