Elmbrook board approves sale of vacant Hillside school with 10-year deed restriction

The Elmbrook School District Board of Education voted to approve a resolution authorizing the sale of the district’s vacant Hillside school property, adding a 10-year deed restriction to limit future uses.

Board members and residents who spoke at the Jan. 14 meeting said the decision was driven by rising maintenance costs and demolition estimates for the deteriorating building. The motion to approve the resolution, made during the board’s action session, passed on a roll call vote with six yeses and no recorded no votes; one board member was absent.

The board was told the former school has been unused since the 2011–12 school year and requires “envelope” repairs and roof work, with routine maintenance averaging about $50,000 annually. District staff said an estimated $1,000,000 in capital work would likely be required over the next three summers to preserve the structure; demolition estimates provided by the district’s construction partner were also in the neighborhood of $1,000,000.

Resident Peter Stoll asked whether the agreed sale price reflected fair market value and urged the board to consider ongoing maintenance costs when judging the deal. “I’m curious what the ongoing maintenance cost…someone’s gotta cut the grass,” Stoll said during the citizens forum.

Joe Eldridge, a commercial real estate broker with Colliers who advised the district, told the board that market conditions and rising construction costs shaped the pool of offers. “Construction prices have doubled since…COVID,” Eldridge said, and he described single-family development as the property’s “highest and best use” given surrounding uses, tax implications and stormwater-management constraints.

Several board members said they had weighed other options, including retaining the site or seeking park uses, but concluded the property was unlikely to be needed for school capacity. “Status quo is not acceptable,” said Board Member Mary Wacker, noting mold problems and ongoing costs. “We can’t use it for anything right now, and we are digging ourselves a hole to keep it even minimally maintained.”

Opposition and questions came from neighbors who said the sale price and planned uses deserve scrutiny. Amit Singh, a nearby resident and candidate for an upcoming board election, said the per-acre price appeared low compared with recent nearby sales and asked for clarity on deed restrictions. Angie Pingle, another resident, raised traffic concerns and pointed to a contract addendum that allows the developer discretion between condos and other residential units.

Board members emphasized the district’s limited ability to control what a municipality will permit once property is sold, and said the deed restriction and the selection of a buyer described as a single-family developer were intended to protect neighborhood character. Jean Lambert noted the board previously approved a deed restriction limited to 10 years on Oct. 23 and said the restriction will be applied as the paperwork moves forward.

The formal motion approved at the meeting, to “approve the resolution as presented with the 10‑year deed restriction added on,” was moved and seconded by board members and passed on a roll call vote: Preetha Kurtyara — yes; Cathy Lim — yes; Mary Wacker — yes; Sam Hughes — yes; Jean Lambert — yes; Scott Wheeler — yes. The motion’s paperwork directs the district to proceed with the sale under the terms discussed and to finalize deed language reflecting the 10‑year restriction before closing.

District staff told the board the sale would relieve the district of demolition costs and continuing maintenance and would return property to the tax rolls under single-family residential use, producing property-tax revenue instead of exempt district ownership. The board also said it selected the buyer in part because staff and the district’s broker judged the firm to have a track record of residential development that fit the neighborhood.

The board’s decision concludes a multi-year process of public meetings, outreach and appraisal work. The board voted to move forward with the sale after hearing public comment, presentations from the district’s broker, and questions from multiple board members.

The district will finalize the purchase agreement and deed restriction language before closing and will post final sale documents once available.