Oshkosh school board votes to tear down Merrill Middle School, despite campaign to preserve it
OSHKOSH ‒ Despite an organized effort to protect the historic parts of Merrill Middle School, the Oshkosh Area School Board Wednesday night voted to tear the school down in favor of more green space including a full-size track.
The district voted 6-0 to remove Merrill Middle School in spite of an effort from local citizens where almost 1,300 people signed a petition against tearing down the school, which was first built in 1901.
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In November 2020, voters approved a $107 million referendum. A bulk of that money will be used to build Vel Phillips Middle School, which is set for completion in fall 2023, and a new elementary school that is expected to be completed in fall 2024.
The referendum question posed to voters in 2020 to construct the new school just north of Merrill Middle School, 108 W. New York Ave., included a phrase about the "potential removal" of the current building.
During a May 11 meeting, the district included a redevelopment plan of the current school that would include athletic facilities like a track, multiple basketball courts and an athletic field on top of the site of the current school.
Five people spoke against tearing down the school during the meeting, with a majority feeling the decision to tear down the school was "rushed."
Carol Stevenson, who spoke against the decision to tear down the school, said the wording of the referendum was vague, and said if she knew the building would be torn down, she would have voted against it — and believes others would've joined her.
"I feel in my heart, if the referendum had clearly stated Merrill was going to be taken down, I think a number of people would have (also) voted no," Stevenson said.
Superintendent Bryan Davis said after reviewing the options ― which included building a track and other facilities across Jackson Street at East Hall Park and purchasing other property north of the site to help provide greenspace — the district decided to remove the Merrill Middle School in part because it provided the most greenspace. Davis noted other schools in the district already have more acres of greenspace for its students, and the most equitable solution would be to tear down the school.
Board member Beth Wyman said she was moved to vote after she talked with the family of Bill Van Lieshout, a longtime tennis coach at Oshkosh North who had died from cancer in 2011 and had the gym at Merrill Middle School named after him.
Wyman said she asked the family about the possibility of losing the court dedicated for Van Lieshout, the family told her that greenspace is "so important for the lives of children" and it would be fine to lose the gym dedicated to him if it meant more space for athletics.
"(I was told) Bill would want as much space as possible for the kids. He wanted kids to run and run hard," Wyman said.
Many of those who spoke in favor of preserving the school said it could be transformed into something else, citing similar old buildings that were refurbished and converted for another use like the Smith School and The Howard. Smith School is now used for housing while The Howard hosts events.
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Board member Kristopher Karns said he spoke with city officials today who told him that the Merrill Middle School building would have needed TIF assistance to redevelop it, and the city would not be interested in providing that.
Karns added he spoke with teachers currently working at Merrill Middle School and learned the majority supported tearing the school down.
"They want to give (the students) the opportunity to set up for success down the road," Karns said.
Davis said the resolution passed by the board would include a memorial to Henry Auler, the architect who designed Merrill; Harold Schumerth, who the old field was named after; and its namesake James Merrill.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh school board votes to tear down historic Merrill School
