The University of Wisconsin-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.
The buildings and land where these campuses are located are typically owned by the counties, leaving elected officials with the task of deciding what’s next.
Scott Henke, Washington County treasurer and chair of the University Campus Task Force, said it costs $750,000 a year to maintain the 200,000-square-foot former campus building and 80 acres it sits on.
Henke said the plan is to create a “social capital” campus, where each of the building’s four corners has an anchor tenant that would benefit the community.
In addition to the charter school, a theater group, a day care and a senior citizen group are interested in the campus, Henke said.
“Kind of a diapers-to-depends type of campus,” Henke said.
Superintendents from the five public school districts in Washington County are also looking at leasing about 5,000 square feet that the districts would use as collaborative space.
As far as the charter school, Henke said the discussions are just beginning.
“We’re about one inch on a 12-inch ruler,” Henke said.
Group letter to a task force.
More: Gov. Evers vetoes required merger of UW campus and technical college in Washington County
County executive says they’ll continue talks about consolidation in light of 66 percent enrollment decline over past decade
