WEST BEND, Wis. — Funding for the future owners of the old UW-Milwaukee Washington County campus building is in question.
Watch: West Bend parent reacts as funding halts for sale of former college campus
On Jan. 14, County Attorney Brad Stern said a $2 million redevelopment grant is not a done deal, which begs the question: Where will the rest of the money come from?
In August, the county board approved County Executive Josh Schoemann's pitch to sell the building to Ozaukee Christian School, a private religious elementary and middle school, and the surrounding land to a conservation organization, with the private local school paying $3 million of the total $5 million price. The other $2 million, he said, would come from a state grant.
"We have come to find out in the last few days that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has decided to put the county's grant on ice for a while," Stern said. "I'd like to go into closed session to discuss with you what I believe the county's next step should be with regard to potential litigation."
Some community members support the county selling the empty UWMWC building to OCS, but most who have spoken out at meetings or talked with TMJ4 News, like parent Molly Morgan, do not support the sale.
"When questions were raised about our eligibility for the money, when community members asked, ‘Are you sure we're going to get this extra $2 million?’ those concerns were completely brushed off," Morgan said. "Now it seems like these concerns were very valid."
She is a parent and advocate for public schooling.
The county declined an interview, and WEDC did not respond to TMJ4 News.
"It just seems like there is this very narrow-minded focus on either privatization or cutting costs," Morgan said. "There is no consideration of the quality of life here in Washington County."
Next week, OCS is hosting what it calls a rebrand reveal party inside the gymnasium at the old UWM campus. According to its website, the school is also trying to raise $13.5 million for the project, which includes adding and expanding into a high school.
"But that's our land, our property, and it should go to benefit everyone in our community," Morgan said. "It should not be privatized."
TMJ4 News called OCS and was forwarded to the executive director's voicemail—he did not get back to the reporter in time for comment.
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