Damakant Jayshi
The Wausau City Council could decide Tuesday on whether to designate John Marshall Elementary School as an historic landmark after two city bodies voted to move ahead with the proposal.
The school building, at 1918 Lamont St., is 100 years old and is owned by the Wausau School District, which stands in strong opposition to the landmarking decision.
Superintendent Keith Hilts told the Wausau School Board on Monday that district officials held a discussion with representatives from the City of Wausau, including members of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, last week. District officials will attend the council meeting and restate their position, he added.
Both the HPC and the Plan Commission, which approved the designation decision last month, said they waited months after reaching out to the district to hold discussions over the landmarking proposal. Members from both commissions have continued to state that Wausau School officials have “misconceptions” about what landmarking actually does. The landmarking designation relates only to the façade of the building, the city has maintained. The board has not addressed this assertion.
In February, the Wausau School Board wrote to the Historic Preservation Commission, the Plan Commission, and the Wausau City Council requesting that the John Marshall school building be taken off the list of proposed historic landmarks, “so the district can complete a community-wide study of all thirteen of its elementary schools. The Board does not want its options limited by such a designation and asked for a pause in the process so those conversations can happen.”
Two days after the school board’s decision, on Feb. 16, the Plan Commission decided to table the HPC proposal for six months. The commission directed the city to reach out to the district, share their intent on landmarking and listen to the district’s concerns.
Lat month, City Planner Brad Lenz told Plan Commission members that they held unofficial talks with Wausau School District officials since the WSD did not respond to invitations to any formal talks. He added that district officials essentially reiterated their position that landmarking will reduce its options for the building. In February, Lenz said the city had the authority to designate a property historic, even over the objection of the owners. He did not respond to request for comment prior to publication of this story.
On Oct. 3, the Wausau School Board reiterated their opposition to designate John Marshall as a historic landmark in a joint letter to Mayor Katie Rosenberg and City Council members. In their letter, district officials say they are “in the middle of discuussions about the long-term facility plan for the entire district,” specifically whether “some schools should be closed or merged.” If the city designates the building as historic, that “removes the option of a new building,” the letter states.
The board also responded to allegations of being unresponsive to city officials.
The district has not been idle during these past six months, the letter said. “We first had a need to engage with the community in a dialogue that led to the recent passing of a $120 million referendum,” the letter added. “Once that work was complete, the Board created two subcommittees of staff and community members to explore the feasibility of a district restructuring.”
The school board and district officials are pushing forward a controversial restructuring proposal after dropping it last year in the face of opposition from the community. On Monday, school administrators apprised the board of its ongoing discussions about the issue.
No decision has been made on John Marshall yet, the school board’s letter said. However, it listed three options for the school building: 1) invest over $7.4 million to improve the facility; 2) close the school and consolidate the students into other schools; or 3) replace the building with a new modern building.
The School Board’s position is that the public would be better served by exploring all district options.
“The educational value of the school to its students, staff and families must take precedence over the historic value to the passersby,” the letter reads. “We look forward to an in-person conversation about this topic with whomever you deem appropriate.”
Wausau Pilot & Review will cover the meeting.
