A former University of Wisconsin campus will be sold for $3 million to a Christian school and a land conservation group.
The Washington County Board voted this week to move forward with the sale following a closed session. County Executive Josh Schoemann and the county attorney will negotiate the sale of the shuttered UW-Milwaukee at Washington County campus to Ozaukee Christian School and the Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation, Wisconsin Public Radio has reported.
The proposed sale splits the 80-acre campus between the two buyers.
If Ozaukee Christian acquires the entire property, it will pay $3 million. If Cedar Lakes also participates, it will pay $300,000 for 60 acres of open land, reducing the school’s cost to $2.7 million.
The school, which serves nearly 100 students from pre-K through eighth grade, intends to expand to include high school grades, Schoemann told the board.
The campus, which closed in June 2024, was one of six two-year colleges in the University of Wisconsin system shut down due to low enrollment and financial strain. The county holds 74% ownership of the land and buildings, while the city of West Bend owns the remaining 26%.
The board also directed Schoemann to enter talks with the city over its stake.
County Treasurer Scott Henke previously estimated annual maintenance costs for the 200,000-square-foot facility and the surrounding land at $750,000, with a separate $2 million expenditure needed this year to upgrade the building’s electrical systems. The property has an assessed value of $5 million.
Since the closure, several alternative uses were considered for the site, including proposals from local school districts, an out-of-state charter school, and a daycare provider. None progressed beyond the idea stage.
The county did not list the property for public sale, which it was not legally required to do, spokesperson Fran McLaughlin was quoted as saying.
Schoemann assessed that the proposed deal is both the best and only viable option, citing a 2024 law providing counties with $2 million in redevelopment funds if they lost a two-year UW campus.
At public listening sessions, some residents alleged a lack of transparency and raised concerns about the tax-exempt status of the buyers.
Ozaukee Christian School reported $935,830 in revenue in 2024, but $982,434 in expenses, based on its latest available tax filing.
