County executives back Menasha schools plan for UWO-Fox Cities campus

MENASHA, Wis. (WBAY) - The Outagamie and Winnebago county executives are voicing support for a plan from the Menasha Joint School District to use the UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities campus for childcare centers.

Winnebago County Executive Jon Doemel’s office released a statement saying the university in Menasha has fueled local economic and cultural growth through its graduates in the workforce and experiences like the Barlow Planetarium and Weis Earth Science Museum.

The statement says Doemel and Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson “are resolved to continue the Fox Cities Campus' legacy as a cultural and economic touchstone for our community,” and the proposal outlined by Menasha Superintendent Matthew Zimmerman “describes a path forward for the campus that accomplishes that goal.”

In the announcement last Friday, the Menasha Joint School District said it was having “significant discussions” to establish multiple childcare centers on the campus.

The school district said it also remains dedicated to preserving the planetarium, current childcare center, museum space, community gardens, and performing arts center to maximize educational opportunities for children and residents throughout the region.

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh announced last June that it was closing the UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities campus, blaming declining enrollment.

Chancellor Andrew Leavitt said teaching at the Fox Cities campus would cease at the end of June this year.

Currently, Winnebago County and Outagamie County jointly own the land and facilities of the Menasha campus.

The Menasha Joint School District stated there is currently a limited number of quality childcare options available for parents within the district. The recent closure of a childcare facility, coupled with the impending closure of UWO-Fox Cities, threatens to further diminish these options, the school district said.

Doemel’s office said more information about the campus’s future “will be forthcoming.”