District puts Saukville school, land up for sale

The Port Washington-Saukville School district is going to try its luck at selling its Saukville property as is, which means the nearly 10-acre parcel would come with a more-than-70-year-old school.

The district has issued a request for proposals for the purchase of the current Saukville Elementary School site and building at 333 N. Mill St., which it will vacate at the end of July 2027.

The $59.4 million referendum approved by voters in April 2025, which included funding for the purchase of 10 acres at 2803 Orchard La. on Saukville’s west side and the construction of a new school, also includes money for the demolition of the current elementary school building.

Supt. Michael McMahon, however, said the district first wants to see if there is interest in the property as is. If not, it will raze the building and sell the property.

Regardless, it is all but certain the school building will be razed, either by the buyer or the district.

The RFP makes it clear the district will never allow the property to be home to a school, prohibiting the purchaser and its successors from ever using it for “any K-12 educational purposes, including, but not limited to, use as a public or private school or charter school.”

The RFP states that before the purchaser files the deed to the property, the School District will record a notice of reversion right, which ensures that if the property is ever used for a school it will revert back to the School District.

That, McMahon said, will prevent the sale of the property from resulting in additional competition for students and make it more likely the land will be added to the tax rolls.

“We want the land to give back to the tax base,” he told the School Board earlier this month.

Although the Village of Saukville  will ultimately determine how the property is used in the future, the RFP states, “The District has a community interest in the proposed use of the property. The district, to the extent practical, will attempt to honor the desires of neighborhood property owners with regards to a compatible use of the property.”

The district, McMahon said, envisions homes on the site.

“Residential is the hope, perhaps condos, to provide tax relief for the district,” he said.

The Mill Street school property abuts Grady Park and is flanked by residential development to the north and south. Across the street is a mix of industrial and residential development.

The school was built in 1955, and the district and its consultants determined it would be better to build a new school rather than remodel the existing facility. It also decided that it would be better to find a new site for the school since the existing property is in a floodplain and has wetlands on it.

Last year, the district purchased 10 acres of Town of Saukville land on Orchard Lane for $552,000. The property abuts the village, which has since annexed the property.

Construction of the new 91,000-square-foot Saukville Elementary School is expected to begin in spring and be completed in summer 2027.

The deadline to submit proposals for the purchase of the current school property and building are due at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15.