PW-S District ready to seal the deal on ideal school site

The Port Washington-Saukville School District is scheduled to purchase what is being described as an ideal site for a new Saukville Elementary School next week.

On Tuesday, July 1, the district will close on 10 acres of farmland at 2803 Orchard La. at the end of Bucktrout Street on the far west side of the Village of Saukville, Supt. Michael McMahon said.

The land will be home to a $45.8 million school and is being purchased from the Elda V. Bunk Living Trust. McMahon said the district will disclose the price after it purchases the property.

The site was once part of a 100-acre parcel, and one of the reasons it appeals to the School District is that the remaining 90 acres will be preserved through a Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District conservation easement, McMahon said.

“So the land to the west of the school will be an outstanding place for kids to see nature,” he said.

Preliminary plans from Groth Design Group show a modern school set back from Orchard Lane on the west side of the 10 acres. Access to the school would be off Bucktrout Street, and concerns about traffic backing up on the residential street will be addressed by a long, looping access road on the school site that will be able to accommodate as many as 70 vehicles, McMahon said.

The site also appeals to the district because it is adjacent to a residential area of the village and, like its other schools, will fit the mold of an easily accessible neighborhood school.

“We see a lot of opportunities for this to be a neighborhood school that children can walk to safely,” McMahon said earlier this year.

Architects have already met with teachers to solicit feedback on the design of the school, which will replace the current Saukville Elementary School on Mill Street.

The current school was built in 1955 and last underwent a major remodeling in 1989. Beyond its age and failing mechanical systems, its space limitations and open concept create what administrators say is a noisy, distracting environment that is being blamed for compromising the academic achievement of students, especially those  who struggle to learn, as well as the school’s performance on key indicators such as the state report card issued by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for all schools that receive public funding.

The School District ruled out remodeling or rebuilding Saukville Elementary School on its current site because the property is in a floodplain and flanked by wetlands. Bray Architects, the firm that conducted a facilities study for the district, advised that building a new school on a new site would be a better use of taxpayer money.

Construction of the school is scheduled to begin in Spring 2026 and will be paid for with money borrowed following the approval of a $59.4 million referendum in April.

The remainder of the money will be spent on maintenance projects at the district’s other schools that will address aging heating and cooling systems, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and security, as well as window and roof replacements, new playgrounds and emergency generators.