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Antigo board approves asbestos abatement and demolition bids for East Elementary amid public questions about sale

Unified School District of Antigo Board of Education · December 16, 2025
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Summary

The Unified School District of Antigo board approved low bids to abate asbestos and demolish East Elementary and discussed whether the district had sought a sale before spending on the property. A concerned taxpayer urged the board to consider listing the building rather than paying to remove it.

The Unified School District of Antigo Board of Education on December (date not specified) voted to accept low bids to abate hazardous materials and demolish East Elementary, a long-vacant district building, while hearing public concern about whether the property had been offered for sale.

At the meeting a resident, Mike Pareczyk, said documents indicate the district faces roughly $150,000 to “raise” the building and asked whether the property had been publicly listed. Pareczyk said he had contacted local realtors who told him they had not seen the building listed and urged the board to consider a sale rather than spending on remediation and demolition.

Board members and staff responded that they had solicited interest and shared technical reports with parties who asked but had not received formal offers. Director of buildings and grounds Jake Leiterman said district staff had circulated asbestos reports and drawings to interested parties but had not received serious offers and that maintaining the vacant building costs the district significant money.

The board approved a motion to award abatement work and the demolition/site restoration contracts. The motion text presented to the board named Dirty Ducks Cleaning and Environmental Inc. for asbestos abatement (amount in motion: $49,748) and Krieger & Steinfest for demolition and site restoration ($128,750). Staff described 5 bids for asbestos abatement (low bid reported in remarks as $49,007.48) and five bids for demolition and site restoration. Leaders said several bids clustered in comparable ranges while one outlier was notably higher.

Board members noted local realtor feedback that a large vacant building often deters buyers and can become blight, and described city officials’ interest in returning the lots to the tax roll. One board member said the motion carried with one abstention; the transcript does not record that abstaining member’s name.

What’s next: staff will proceed with the abatement and demolition contracts as approved and continue to note any incoming purchase interest. The board did not approve any sale of the property at this meeting.