Washington County Plans To Sell Former UWM Campus To Christian School
Community members are divided over proposal.
The campus sign for UW-Milwaukee at Washington County, which closed permanently in June 2024. Screenshot courtesy of Ken Brosky
The former University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Washington County campus will be sold to a Christian school and land conservation group.
The Washington County Board voted to move forward with the sale after a closed session meeting on Wednesday, despite objections from several community members who have raised questions about the sale price and why the county would sell to buyers who won’t pay taxes.
The board voted to authorize County Executive Josh Schoemann and the county attorney to negotiate the sale of the campus to Ozaukee Christian School and/or the Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation.
If the school purchases the property, the sale price will be $3 million. If both entities buy the property, Cedar Lakes will pay $300,000 for 60 acres of the 80-acre property, reducing the Christian school’s cost to $2.7 million.
The board also directed Schoemann to negotiate with the city of West Bend over ownership of the former UW campus.
Washington County owns 74 percent of the campus property. The city of West Bend owns the remaining 26 percent.
The UW-Milwaukee at Washington County campus was permanently closed in June 2024.
It’s one of six two-year campuses in the Universities of Wisconsin system to close or announce closure plans due to declining enrollment and budget shortfalls.
Scott Henke, Washington County treasurer, told WPR earlier this year that it costs $750,000 a year to maintain the 200,000-square-foot former campus building and the 80 acres it sits on.
The county also has to spend about $2 million this year on electrical upgrades to the building.
Since its closure, there have been several ideas floated for the building, including use by the surrounding public school districts, and by an out-of-state charter school and a day care. But none came to fruition.
The property’s assessed value is $5 million.
Schoemann told the County Board on Wednesday the $3 million deal with Ozaukee Christian School and Cedar Lakes is the best and only use.
He said legislation passed in 2024 giving counties that lost two-year campuses $2 million to help redevelop the properties would offset any losses.
“The way I look at it, we have $5 million coming in the door that a year-and-a-half ago we weren’t going to have, which happens to be the appraisal price of the property,” Schoemann said.
The UW property was not listed for sale and didn’t legally have to be, said county spokesperson Fran McLaughlin.
Listening sessions draw angry feedback
Over the last several weeks, Schoemann has held listening sessions about the proposal from Ozaukee Christian School, drawing feedback from many community members unhappy with the plan.
“I think a lot of you know that a lot of the conversation in the last three weeks has been quite emotional and quite spirited,” Schoemann told the board. “I don’t think anybody, even five years ago, really anticipated there would be a full pullout the way that we saw just over a year ago. So you certainly can’t blame them.”
But Schoemann said the disagreement has devolved into a fight over public schools versus voucher schools, and he is “disappointed” at the visceral and “completely inappropriate” comments.
“I recognize the school funding formula sucks,” Schoemann said. “This is not anybody from this county’s fault. It sure as heck isn’t Ozaukee Christian’s fault. This is the highest and best use for a building that, over six years, was literally built as a school.”
Ozaukee Christian School has “nearly” 100 K3 through eighth grade students, according to its website. The school plans to expand to serve high school students, Schoemann said.
According to the school’s latest tax filing, its revenue was $935,830 in 2024. But expenses were $982,434.
Schoemann announced his plans to run for governor in May. According to campaign finance reports filed in July, Adam Baker, who was listed in 2024 tax filings as a board member of Ozaukee Christian School, donated $5,000 to Schoemann’s campaign. Baker’s wife donated $1,000.
In response to a question from WPR, McLaughlin said Baker is not a board member at the school. The school did not reply to a request for information.
Kristina Mueller, who lives in Slinger and is opposed to the sale, said it has nothing to do with selling to a Christian school.
“The lack of transparency through this whole process is a huge red flag,” Mueller said. “It’s turned into more about Josh is attempting to use public taxpayer funds to give like a discount to a private organization.”
Washington County is selling former UW campus to Christian school was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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