HUSTISFORD — Families and staff gathered for one final back-to-school drive as the Hustisford School District moves toward dissolution following failed funding efforts.
About 250 students and 40 staff members are facing a major transition as the Hustisford School District dissolves after a school referendum and other funding attempts failed earlier this year. Staff organized a back-to-school drive as a moment of closure for families before the district's doors close for good.
Chad Brand, a Hustisford father, said the event carried the weight of a farewell.
"It's just sad. It's almost a wake in a way," Brand said.
A building that has served students for more than 70 years will soon sit empty. Brand has two daughters who attended Hustisford and said they, like many students, will head to the Dodgeland School District, about 15 minutes away. Other students will transfer to districts like Mayville or Watertown.
"This may very well be the last time I walk in this building. I have my daughters here with me. There's a lot of mixed feelings," Brand said.
The transition means more than just a change of schools for many families.
"A lot of their friend group is getting split, you know? And that's difficult," Brand said.
For some, the building holds generations of memories. Michelle Thimm has three children who attended the school and is a Hustisford graduate herself. She reflected on her own yearbook during the event.
"This is my senior photo and my classmates. We only had a couple in our class, but these are what we considered our family," Thimm said.
Thimm said she is optimistic about her children's future but will miss the closeness of a neighborhood school.
"That's what I'm sad that my kids won't be able to experience, those memories at home, and living two minutes down the road. I mean we could walk here if we wanted to," Thimm said.
Hustisford Principal Peter Moe said staff organized the back-to-school drive to show continued support for the families they have served.
"We really did this to support families, like we always have, and we wanted to show them we are still here for them," Moe said.
Brand, who has two daughters in the district, said the gesture resonated with the community.
"We know they care. We know they care and they love our kids. And this is, I guess, the last opportunity they have to show that before it's all gone," Brand said.
The future of the Hustisford School District now rests with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Principal Moe said the spirit of the community endures beyond the building.
"The Hustisford community and the sole of the community is still there," Moe said.
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