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Columbus Elementary School Repurposing FAQ

Update January 28, 2025: At the January 27 Board meeting the Board approved the following Edison attendance boundaries for the 2025-2026 school year based on the input and criteria:

  • Columbus Elementary’s entire attendance area
  • Franklin Elementary area south of Wisconsin Avenue
  • Dunlap Elementary area east of Richmond Street

Update January 15, 2025: During the AASD Board of Education meeting on January 13, the Board approved the repurposing of the Columbus Elementary School building for other educational purposes starting with the 2025-2026 school year. We anticipate the Board will approve adjusted school boundaries at their next meeting on Monday, January 27. 

At this time there are three attendance boundary options that the Board is considering:

  1. The Edison Elementary attendance area adds the entire Columbus attendance area. There would be no change to the Ronald C. Dunlap Elementary (red box) and Franklin Elementary (green box) attendance areas that are adjacent to Columbus’ attendance area.
  2. Edison adds the entire Columbus attendance area as well as the Franklin attendance area that is south of Wisconsin Avenue (green box). There would be no change to the Dunlap attendance area (red box).
  3. Edison adds the entire Columbus attendance area as well as the Franklin attendance area that is south of Wisconsin Avenue (green box) and also the Dunlap attendance area east of Richmond Street (red box). 

These options prioritize established criteria such as geographic proximity, enrollment capacity and current enrollment, transportation and accessibility, and growth and future development.

Opportunities to Provide Feedback

  • A Community Listening Session with Superintendent Greg Hartjes and Assistant Superintendent Nan Bunnow will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 6:30 p.m., at the Scullen Leadership Center (131 E. Washington St., Suite 1A). During this session, an overview of school attendance boundary options will be provided, any questions will be answered, and participant feedback will be collected. 
  • Attend the Board of Education meeting on Monday, January 27, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. held at the Scullen Leadership Center (131 E. Washington St., Suite 1A) and provide Public Input.
  • Submit your feedback to the District by email, or by calling (920) 852-5300 ext. 60111.

Families from Dunlap and Franklin Elementary Schools residing in the attendance areas under review have received personalized communications requesting their feedback and explaining the option to remain at their current school through School of Choice In-District Open Enrollment. 

We are committed to supporting families across all affected schools throughout this transition, both now and into the next school year. Once a boundary decision is finalized, we will work closely and collaboratively with these elementary school communities to develop a comprehensive transition plan in preparation for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond.


Posted December 10, 2024: At the Appleton Area School District Board of Education Meeting on Monday, December 9, the Board began discussions about repurposing the Columbus Elementary School building as an alternative education space starting with the 2025-2026 school year.  If approved, this would mean potential boundary changes for Columbus, Dunlap, Edison, and Franklin elementary schools.

Watch the meeting here.

The main points in moving forward with this recommendation are as follows:

Declining Student Enrollment at Columbus Elementary

Low enrollment makes it challenging to meet the needs of students. Columbus enrollment has declined from 161 students in 2018-19 to approximately 100 students or less in each of the past three years. Among others, challenges arise in the areas of student grouping, combination classes, staffing, and staff retention.

District Need for Alternative Education Spaces

We have a need for spaces that can accommodate alternative education programming that cannot take place in a neighboring school.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The FAQ list will be updated as new questions are submitted. 

Click here to submit a question.

Why is the Columbus Elementary building being considered for repurposing?  

Low enrollment makes it challenging to meet the needs of students. Columbus enrollment has declined from 161 students in 2018-19 to approximately 100 students or less in each of the past three years.

What will happen to Columbus students if the school is repurposed?

If Board approved, this would mean that Kindergarten-Grade 5 students in the current Columbus attendance area would be reassigned to attend either Ronald C. Dunlap Elementary School or Edison Elementary School.

How will this impact class size?

As both Dunlap and Edison are Achievement Gap Reduction (AGR) schools, K-3 class size will average 15 students per section.  Grade 4 and 5 class size will average 27 students per section, which is standard across AASD elementary schools.

If new attendance boundaries are set, what if a family does not want to attend the elementary school they are now assigned to?

AASD offers School of Choice. This process allows a student to attend a non-Charter school outside of their neighborhood school attendance area but within their resident school district. Learn more about School of Choice here.

Will Columbus staff move to Dunlap and Edison?

Teachers and staff will not lose their jobs due to the repurposing of the Columbus building. We intend to find placements for all Columbus teachers and staff members in open positions in the district. This may be at Dunlap or Edison if the increase in student enrollment justifies it. 

What will happen to the Columbus building?

We will be keeping the building and using it as a location for alternative education programming. We respect the community’s deep sense of pride in the Columbus Elementary building and will not sell the building.

How will we support Columbus students and families as they transition to a new school?

Our intention is to make this process as smooth as possible for students and families. We will work to ensure all students continue to thrive, even amidst change. As transition activities and opportunities are planned, these will be shared with students and families.

Will there be a celebration of the life of Columbus Elementary School?

Columbus Elementary School is Appleton's oldest school, opening in 1892. An opportunity to celebrate and provide closure for students, staff, families, and community members is being considered.

How can I share feedback on the proposed repurposing of the Columbus building with the AASD Board of Education and/or Superintendent?

To share feedback with the Board of Education, write to Board of Education members at Appleton Area School District, P.O. Box 2019, Appleton, WI 54912-2019, or email AASDBoard@aasd.k12.wi.us.

To share feedback with the Superintendent, write to Mr. Greg Hartjes at Appleton Area School District, P.O. Box 2019, Appleton, WI 54912-2019, or email superintendent@aasd.k12.wi.us.

AASD markets its charter school options. How does AASD also promote their neighborhood schools?

The AASD is continually looking for ways to better meet the needs of our students.  We believe offering families strong neighborhood schools along with charter schools reflects a commitment to choice in education to meet those needs. We feel there is great value in offering students options that align with their unique learning styles and preferences.  We find that families generally understand what is offered at our neighborhood schools, but this is not always the case with our charter options, so we provide opportunities for families to learn about our charter schools.   

Can you give more detail on how Hoffman determined Columbus' capacity is 135?

We contract with Hoffman Planning, Design, and Construction to have capacity studies completed on each of our schools. The Columbus capacity study was last completed in 2018.  

 

When discussing school capacity, it’s essential to recognize that the metrics used by schools often differ because their goals are distinct. A fire department typically defines capacity based on safety regulations, such as maximum occupancy for safe evacuation during emergencies. This approach calculates how many individuals can physically fit in a space while maintaining fire code compliance.

 

In contrast, schools approach capacity through the lens of educational quality and student well-being. Capacity in a school setting isn’t about how many bodies can fit into a room but about how many students can be effectively supported and taught in an environment that fosters learning and growth. This includes considering factors like:

 
  • Classroom Size: Effective teaching and learning require sufficient space for movement, group work, and hands-on activities. Crowded classrooms can hinder participation and engagement.
  • Teacher-Student Ratios: Smaller ratios allow teachers to give individualized attention and address diverse learning needs, a cornerstone of high-quality education.
  • Specialized Spaces: Schools need additional spaces such as libraries, art rooms, STEM labs, and intervention rooms to address various learning styles.
  • Social-Emotional Factors: Overcrowding can negatively impact students’ mental health and behavior, affecting their ability to focus and thrive.
 

Ultimately, the school’s capacity definition is guided by what creates the best conditions for student success—not just what complies with safety standards. While fire department guidelines are critical for ensuring physical safety, the educational capacity of a school considers the broader needs of students to learn, grow, and reach their full potential.

Why is Franklin Elementary not receiving Columbus students? Why is the Franklin boundary being changed if they aren't going to receive additional students from Columbus?

The district tries to limit students having to cross busier streets such as Wisconsin Avenue. This is why we have not considered having Columbus students attend Franklin as their neighborhood school.  

 

As there is a section of the Franklin attendance area that is south of Wisconsin Avenue, we are considering changing this attendance area from Franklin to Edison to avoid the need for these students to cross Wisconsin Avenue to get to their neighborhood school.  Students who currently attend Franklin will be able to continue to do so through 5th grade.

Where is Appleton Bilingual School (ABS) moving?

ABS will be moving to Huntley Elementary School, located at 2224 North Ullman Street, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.  

 

The lease between the Appleton Area School District (AASD) and Zion Lutheran Church for the spaces currently used by ABS will end in the summer of 2025. AASD has decided not to renew the lease with Zion as there are more suitable spaces available for ABS at several elementary school buildings in the district.  The available space is due to 6th-grade students moving to the middle school level this year and the opening of the new Sandy Slope Elementary School next fall. 

 

After reviewing the elementary schools that have available capacity for Appleton Bilingual School, the ABS Governance Board and ABS staff selected Huntley Elementary School as their new building location. District leadership supported this recommendation, and the Board of Education was informed during their meeting on Monday, October 28.

Why is the timeline for the decision so short? 

Administration and the Board of Education had four facility decisions to make during the first semester of the 2024-25 school year.  The four decisions were: ABS location, HAIS location, Sandy Slope boundaries, and Columbus repurposing.  Preliminary discussions were held regarding all four of the questions, but no decisions could be made until after 3rd-Friday of September enrollments were confirmed.

 

Once confirmed, the administration first focused on the ABS decision, which was brought to the Board on October 28th. At this meeting, the location for HAIS was also shared with the Board and an initial discussion of Sandy Slope boundaries was held.  A preliminary decision on Sandy Slope boundaries was made during the November 25th meeting, with the final decision being made during the December 9th Board meeting.  Also, during this December 9th meeting, an initial discussion regarding repurposing Columbus was held.  We hope to make a final decision on Columbus repurposing during the January 13th Board meeting and a final decision on Edison boundaries at the January 27th Board meeting.  

How will our children from the Columbus area safely get to school? Oneida, Drew, and Lawe are busy streets and downtown Appleton is not a suburban area like other school's neighborhoods and therefore we have urban problems other schools might not experience as often.

Columbus students would join current Edison students in having to cross Drew, Lawe, and Meade streets. Considering the change to the Edison attendance boundaries, we will ask the City of Appleton to review their placement of crossing guards.  We also partner with Safe Routes to School to determine optimum walking/biking routes to school for the new Edison attendance area.

Will Columbus students have priority for charter enrollment and school of choice?

The Board determines annually which neighborhood elementary schools will be “open” for open enrollment/school of choice.  Requests are approved if there are seats available.  If there are more applications than seats available, priority is given based on the date of application.  It is anticipated that all 16 neighborhood elementary schools will be “open” for the 2025-26 school year.    

 

Regarding charter schools, the State has a process that must be followed when filling open seats at charter schools.  The district cannot make adjustments to the process.  

 

If families are interested in learning about their neighborhood and/or charter school options for their students, they are encouraged to review the information on the school website as well as contact a school office to schedule a building tour.

What additional staffing will the district provide to support the transition of the Columbus students to Edison?

If Columbus is repurposed, staffing considerations will be made related to supporting the transition.  This includes both enrollment-related staffing (classroom and specialist teachers) and additional staffing to support the transition (Student Services, Community School Resource Coordinator, and interventionist staff).    

In addition, Edison receives Title 1 funds to support staffing and could receive additional Title 1 funding based on the poverty level of the Columbus students that would be transitioning over.  Title 1 staffing priorities are based on an assessment of school needs.

We did increase staffing this year for the transition of 15 Columbus students to Edison who have special education needs.  This transition allowed Edison to retain a special education teacher who would have been reduced otherwise.  We also provided an additional teacher to reduce class size at the 4th and 5th grade levels and transitioned the Youth Advocate position to a Dean of Students position.  

Does Edison have enough space considering the revitalization of the downtown area?

There are several new apartments that have been built in the downtown area over the past few years, and additional apartment developments are being proposed.  However, we have not seen families move into these new apartments, so student enrollments at Edison are not anticipated to increase substantially because of the downtown revitalization.  

What is the fiscal impact of repurposing Columbus?

We will see an annual savings of between $500,000 and $700,000 due to staffing efficiency.  If we are able to add special education programming that currently takes place outside of the AASD, we could save an additional $500,000.    

How will the demographics of Edison change?

Changes will most likely occur in the areas of low socioeconomic status and students of color.  Edison (32%) currently has less than the district average (39%) for students of color and is slightly higher (49%) than the district average (47%) for students qualifying for free or reduced meals.  

 

At 24%, Edison’s current percentage of students with a disability is higher than the district average of 17% but should be brought closer to the district average through the addition of the Columbus students, who are primarily students without a disability.  

Does the district intend to repurpose or close other elementary schools?

The district has no intentions of repurposing or closing other elementary schools.