KENOSHA, Wis. — Tuesday evening, the Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) board voted to close six Kenosha schools.

What You Need To Know

  • Kenosha Unified School District voted to close six schools

  • Lincoln Middle School District and five elementary schools will close 

  • The district will reduce staff at Reuther High School by 10 at the start of the 2023-2024 school year

  • The district said it plans to communicate with families about boundary changes and school options

Tuesday was emotional for Beth and Ava Holtz, Beth Holtz said. Beth Holtz is Ava Holtz’s mom. Ava Holtz is a 6th grader at Lincoln Middle School.

The mother and daughter attended the KUSD board meeting.

Ava Holtz gave a speech at the meeting sharing her concerns.

“Lincoln is my family,” said Ava Holtz. “How is the fair to Lincoln’s community?”

Ava Holtz’s speech also touched on what school programming would look like without her middle school.

“She’s extremely upset,” said Beth Holtz. “I didn’t even know she was going to write a speech. She did it all on her own. She said, ‘I’m going to save the school.’” 

However, in a 4-3 vote, the board voted in favor of closing Lincoln Middle School and five elementary schools. The board also voted to reduce Reuther High School staff by 10 at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. 

“These changes were recommended following eight months of a rightsizing process implemented to help offset an estimated fifteen million dollar budget deficit for the 2024 2025 fiscal year which consists of a structural deficit, increased health insurance costs, the loss of ESSER funding and potential salary schedule movements,” the district said in a statement.

The district said it’s faced declining enrollment for many years, which it attributed to declining birth rates. KUSD said it expected to be impacted by this for the next decade.

“The school is built for 23,000 students but it’s funded for fewer than 19,000 and we cannot continue to operate at that level without negatively impacting the services we provide for our students,” said Yolanda Adams, KUSD school board president. 

KUSD officials said they will communicate with students’ families in regards to boundary changes and school options.

“My daughter was really upset that they’re closing the school,” said Beth Holtz. “She’s like, ‘What do we do?’ I don’t know how to answer it. They don’t know budget cuts or charter schools.”

Beth Holtz said she is eager to hear where her daughter’s new school will be, and said she is hoping the change doesn’t impact Ava’s education or mental health. 

“I’m scared because I feel like my daughter is [being taken] out of her home,” said Beth Holtz. “I feel safe with that school. I feel safe with it being so close to my house.”

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