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Fond du Lac School District recommends consolidating Roberts; STEM program to move to Woodworth
Summary
Superintendent Matt Steinbart presented a recommendation to consolidate Roberts Elementary and relocate the STEM program to Woodworth for the 2027–28 school year, citing long-term enrollment declines and a potential lease for the Roberts facility; no final board vote on closure was recorded at the June 15 meeting.
Superintendent Matt Steinbart on June 15 recommended that the Fond du Lac School District consolidate two buildings — proposing that the district relocate its STEM program into the Woodworth facility and repurpose Roberts Elementary — with changes planned for the 2027–28 school year.
Steinbart told the board the recommendation follows a districtwide review of enrollment and facilities. He said Roberts has experienced the district’s largest enrollment decline since 2005 (a loss of 190 students) and currently has the district’s lowest enrollment at about 261 students. The superintendent also noted Roberts shows a 21% net out-migration rate; Parkside’s net out-migration was cited at 19% while Parkside remains above capacity. An outside agency has expressed interest in leasing the Roberts facility, staff said, which could offset district costs if consolidation proceeds.
Board members emphasized the difficulty of the proposal and the need to support affected families and staff. Board member Henchel pushed back on a headline summary that the district was "closing STEM," saying, "We are not closing STEM; we are moving it to a different physical location so we can grow the program" and noting that STEM staff would move with the program. Trustees said the recommendation is intended to preserve program quality and maintain manageable elementary class sizes across the district.
Superintendent Steinbart and other trustees described the recommendation as driven by a sustained enrollment decline — the district is down roughly 1,300 students over the past decade — rather than solely by recent referendum results. Board members said they will begin communications with families if the board later approves the plan and stressed they will seek to place affected staff within the district when possible.
What this means next: The June 15 presentation recorded the staff recommendation and community-facing rationale; the transcript does not show a final vote to close or consolidate at that meeting. Board members asked for further planning and outreach, and trustees noted any approved timeline would allow the district and the schools one year to plan for transitions slated for the 2027–28 academic year.
Speakers quoted in this article are taken from the meeting transcript and include only the board members and staff who spoke on the record that evening.
