District seeks interagency agreement and $20,000 cap as it advances Jackson Elementary site; clarifies role on UW Washington County campus discussions

The West Bend School District said it is pursuing an interagency agreement with the village to keep the Jackson Elementary School project on schedule and to cap the district’s reimbursable outside expenses, and clarified its role in separate discussions about the former UW Washington County campus.

Superintendent Wimmer told the board the district submitted required materials this summer — including the village-required traffic impact analysis, a certified survey map and rezoning applications — and is recommending an interagency approach because the village template provided to the district resembled templates used for private developers. Wimmer said the district’s legal review suggests an interagency agreement between two public entities is more appropriate and should include a cap on reimbursable outside services; she recommended a $20,000 cap to help limit the district’s exposure while allowing the village to hire necessary expertise.

Wimmer said the schedule calls for the district to seek plan-commission consideration on Oct. 16 and to issue construction bids in November so the district can deliver the new Jackson Elementary for the planned 2027 opening. Board members generally supported a capped arrangement to expedite reviews and preserve the timeline.

Separately, Wimmer clarified confusion that arose when the district’s materials briefly included draft program ideas for the former UW Washington County property. She said the inclusion in a county packet was a mistake that caused public confusion; the property is controlled by the county and city. The district said it contributed high-level ideas to a county-led task force earlier in the year — concepts such as career and workforce development, consolidated student services and social-capital programming — but it is not the property owner and will act only if the county and city request further participation.

Wimmer noted the county and city will host a community Q&A on Aug. 14 at the former UW Washington County site; she urged residents who want to express interest to address those public meetings because decisions about redevelopment are the county’s and city’s to make.

Board members also received brief construction updates on district projects at McLean and Green Tree elementary schools; work on window replacement, drywall, tile work and mechanical systems is underway and the superintendent reported no expected delays to school openings.

The board approved a consent agenda that included an agreement modification with the architectural firm Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) for fixed fees on the Green Tree and McLean projects; the contract and construction updates will continue to be monitored by the facilities department and the board.