RACINE — Dr. Jones Elementary School will close next year.
The Racine Unified School District board during a meeting Monday night voted to close Dr. Jones Elementary, 3300 Chicory Road, when this school year ends in June. The district estimates it will save $2.16 million in staffing and facilities costs from closing the school.
The building will not be demolished.
The RUSD board voted in December 2021 to keep Dr. Jones open for the 2022-23 year even though RUSD administration recommended closing the school. The board in June had an item on its agenda to reconsider the closing of Dr. Jones. No board member made a motion to vote on the item though, so it died, resulting in the school staying open this year.
Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, the northeast boundaries of Dr. Jones will belong to Mitchell School’s elementary portion, and the rest of the Dr. Jones boundaries will belong to S.C. Johnson Elementary.
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Based on those boundary changes, Peter Reynolds, RUSD chief operating officer, said that of the 124 K-4 students currently at Dr. Jones, 74 would attend S.C. Johnson Elementary and 50 would attend Mitchell K-8 School. Dr. Jones families also can utilize the district’s school choice window from Dec. 1 to Jan. 15.
Schulte expansion
The board approved adding two sixth grade classes to Schulte School in 2023-24 and two seventh grade classes in 2024-25. According to RUSD, the current Schulte building does not need any renovations or additions to accommodate four extra classes.
“I’m very happy to vote yes,” said Jane Barbian, RUSD board president. “This is something that the parents and families in the community have wanted for a long time.”
As part of its updated long-term plans, by August 2025, RUSD’s administration recommends building a new Schulte K-8 School at the same site as the current location of Schulte Elementary, 8515 Westminster Drive, Sturtevant.
The expanded Schulte K-7 School will have the same boundaries in 2023-24 and 2024-25 as Schulte Elementary, meaning current Schulte fifth-graders will attend Schulte for sixth grade next year instead of Mitchell School. Proposed boundaries for the new Schulte K-8 school starting in the 2025-26 school year will likely be brought to the board next month.
Acting superintendent approved
Racine Unified will have an acting superintendent starting next month. The board approved a contract with Steven Pophal to lead the district while current RUSD Superintendent Eric Gallien takes an extended medical leave of absence after surgery.
Pophal is expected to begin in early to mid-December. The contract will last about 40 working days. Pophal was most recently the Janesville School District superintendent, a position that he retired from in June.
In photos: Dr. Jones Elementary School 4K Dual Language Class
The children in Florencia Garza-Bias’ Dual Language class at Dr. Jones Elementary School learned how to reduce, reuse, and recycle trash as part of the 4K Creative Curriculum. They learned how littering, leaving water running, leaving on lights or the TV on when not in the room can waste resources and affect our environment. They learned that paper, glass, plastic, cars, old furniture and even airplanes can be recycled.