4 former schools in Kenosha, Wisconsin, will be torn down

Four shuttered schools in Kenosha, Wisconsin, will soon be torn down by the city, and plans are in the works to build single-family homes on two of the sites. 

Wisconsin Public Radio reports that the move comes in the wake of a Kenosha Unified School District consolidation plan that closed and consolidated schools in the district because of declining enrollment. 

Earlier this year, the Kenosha school board approved the transfer of the four school buildings slated for demolition to the city of Kenosha. The city has approved contracts for razing the schools, which have been closed since the end of the 2023-24 school year.

At two of the former school sites, Kenosha Technology Enhanced Curriculum West and McKinley Elementary School, about 30 single-family homes and a park will be built.

Kenosha Technology Enhanced Curriculum East will also be demolished and then transferred back to the school district to be used as a drop-off and pick-up area for students at the neighboring LakeView K-8 Academy. Another shuttered school, Washington Middle School, is being razed to make the site available for a “future development,” said Tim Casey, director of city development.

Demolition of the buildings could take place this winter. McKinley Elementary School is 75 years old, and the other properties are all about 100 years old, Casey said.

Kenosha Technology Enhanced Curriculum West and McKinley Elementary School are next to each other and take up two city blocks. There’s a green space and playground in between the schools that will likely be where the new park will be placed.