This week the District received correspondence from the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) that after careful consideration Swallow School is not eligible for listing in the State and National Register of Historic Places. The WHS staff explored the request by a community member to preserve the building under the National Register Criteria and found it is not eligible due to the numerous additions and expansions made to the original building. All historic buildings must retain their historic integrity, and due to the many exterior and interiors alterations the building was determined ineligible. The complete letter is available
HERE.
Superintendent Melissa Thompson commented, “As a district we are very cognizant of the pride in our whole school--not just the building-- but the people and its place in our community. Every effort will be made through any future renovations to incorporate design that is consistent with the look of the existing building and reuse materials to be sure our community can enjoy elements of our history for generations to come.”
In 2013 the District embarked upon a Master Facilities Planning process which resulted in the School Board placing an $8.3 million referendum on the ballot in July of this year, with advice from a group of community members who studied the building and grounds for 7 months and reviewed Community Survey feedback. This survey, taken by residents in May 2018, revealed that a majority of residents were not in support of spending approximately $1 million to renovate the oldest sections of the building; however, there was support for the plan which called for demolition of the oldest sections with replacement classrooms instead.
Survey results are available
HERE and more information about the referendum can be found in
THIS section of the website. Questions can also be directed to Superintendent Melissa Thompson at
[email protected] or 262-367-2000 x108.