Elmbrook board postpones Hillside Elementary sale after neighborhood outcry over notice and deed restriction

The Elmbrook School District board on Tuesday halted immediate consideration of a $900,000 offer for the former Hillside Elementary property after residents pressed the board for more transparency and stronger protections for the neighborhood.

The board’s decision to postpone indefinitely effectively killed the motion that had been on the table to direct administration to finalize the sale. Earlier in the meeting the board had disclosed that the offer would transfer the property “as is” and that the prospective buyer had discussed starting an adult day‑care center on the site. Board materials and a prior meeting record also showed that a deed restriction barring educational use—originally drafted to run in perpetuity—had been amended to a 10‑year limit.

Why it mattered: dozens of residents who live near the site told the board they first learned of the sale only when a handout arrived in their mailboxes this week or when neighbors circulated word on social media. Speakers raised concerns that posting on the district website and routine agenda notices did not reach elderly…