Proposed health center will not be housed at school building
Prairie du Chien School District Administrator Andy Banasik primarily spoke during the working session meeting on December 17, which was held in the Little Theater at the high school. (Steve Van Kooten/Courier Press)
By Steve Van Kooten
Bluff View Intermediate School will not house a community health center, according to a joint statement released by the Prairie du Chien School District and Scenic Bluffs Community Health Centers.
The statement was given to the audience at a “working session” for the Prairie du Chien Board of Education on December 17. Both organizations decided the school building is “not the best fit for the initiative at this time.”
“The partnership with Scenic Bluffs showed potential for our students in the realm of career and technical education, as well as potential to meet health service needs in our community. However, our community has spoken, we have listened, and as a result, will continue to explore possibilities to meet the needs of the stakeholders in our district,” District Administrator Andy Banasik said in the statement.
The statement continues, saying the school district and Scenic Bluffs will “pause conversations about space” but will continue to explore collaboration to meet the needs of the community.
“We’re still going to be looking at Scenic Bluffs as an opportunity, but that will not be stationed in our school district,” said Banasik. “We know there’s a need in our community for this.”
Banasik’s statement said the district is “always exploring opportunities” that meet the needs of the students and community.
“We deeply value our partnerships with school districts, county health departments, community agencies and healthcare organizations and will continue working with these organizations to ensure that community members have access to care,” Kim Hawthorne, CEO of Scenic Bluffs, said in the statement.
Hawthorne’s statement said that Scenic Bluffs explored several potential sites in the community.
The health center would have provided training and other educational support for STEM careers, including healthcare and medical technology, in addition to health services for the student population and community, according to material released by the school district.
A November 25 meeting authorized the Board of Education to negotiate a lease for approximately 8,000 feet of Bluff View Intermediate School’s property based on a vote of the electorate, which included anyone present that resided within the school district. Eleven people voted at that meeting, with the authorization passing 6-5. The school board split 3-3 during the vote.
The vote did not approve a lease with Scenic Bluffs for the property.
According to Banasik, the district did not give the public proper notice for that meeting. For a special meeting, Wisconsin State Statutes require public notices accessible to the public and two postings in the newspaper.
The mutual decision to forgo the health center has ramifications for the district’s career and technical education center.
Scenic Bluffs would have contributed a $300,000 match for a competitive $1.4 million federal grant to help support the CTE. The school district has already applied for the one-time grant, but the money from Scenic Bluffs is no longer available for the match, according to Banasik.
“That’s out the door. If we receive that grant, we have 60 days to find partners for $300,000 to match it, or we don’t receive that money,” said Banasik.
The district will have to find a new partner for that grant opportunity.
“We know, if we’re looking to do this, we have to have sustainable partners for us to be successful,” Banasik said.
The CTE has received support from more than a dozen industry, education and municipal partners, including 3M, Dependable Solutions, Southwest Technical College and the city of Prairie du Chien. The center also has obtained financial support from grant programs and private investors.
In attendance were board members Michael Higgins, Jr., Nick Gilberts, Lacie Anthony, Noah White and Lonnie Achenbach. Banasik and the district’s three principals were also present. Jim Hackett and Dustin Brewer were absent.
