APPLETON (NBC 26) — The Appleton Area School District says it is considering repurposing Columbus Elementary School as an alternative education space beginning in the next school year.
The district will hold information and listening sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday to "engage the community and gather valuable input." Those sessions will be held:
- Tuesday, December 10 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Columbus Elementary School Gym at 9:13 Oneida St. in Appleton.
- Wednesday, December 11 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Edison Elementary School Multipurpose Room at 412 N. Meade St.
The district said families from Columbus, Dunlap, Edison, and Franklin elementary schools have been invited to these sessions, as their boundaries are adjacent to Columbus’ current attendance area.
The district's board of education initiated discussions about this proposal during its meeting on Monday.
If the proposal is approved, current students in kindergarten through fourth grade would be reassigned to nearby schools for the 2025-26 school year.
Those schools are:
- Ronald C. Dunlap Elementary School for families living north of West Atlantic Street and west of North Division Street.
- Edison Elementary School for families in the remaining Columbus attendance area.
In addition, the board says it will considering changing the Franklin Elementary attendance area south of Wisconsin Avenue to be within the Edison Elementary boundaries.
The district said this is to avoid the need for students in kindergarten through fifth grade to cross Wisconsin Avenue when walking or biking to school. The distirct said students who currently attend Franklin Elementary would be able to continue to do so through fifth grade.
