WALES, Wi — The Kettle Moraine School Board unanimously voted to close Magee Elementary School after the 2025-2026 school year, leaving many parents and staff heartbroken.
The decision came after months of discussion and a two-hour deliberation Wednesday night.
Magee is one of four elementary schools in the Kettle Moraine district located in the Town of Genesee.
"It's a very bad look for our school to close a school that is growing and attracting people and engaging the community in those really positive ways," Kettle Moraine parent, Sarah Kowalski said.
Watch: Families heartbroken after Kettle Moraine School Board votes to close one elementary school
Board members emphasized that the closure will impact every student and staff member in the district due to necessary consolidations.
The difficult decision stems from declining enrollment in the district and lack of increased funding from the state.
"We're still going to need to pass a referendum in the next year or two to overcome the financial deficit that we will be facing in a few years," Magee Elementary parent, Dana Meyer said.
Meyer is a mom of two at Magee. This news is devastating for her family as they enjoy the 4-K Forest program.
"It sits in the heart of literally a Kettle Moraine which is what the district is named after. The other schools have green spaces but not in the same capacity," Meyer explained.
The closure won't take effect until after the 2025-2026 school year concludes.
This story was reported on-air by Megan Lee and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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