At the time it was constructed, Yahara Elementary cost $375,000 to build. Fifty years later, more than $2 million in mechanical and electrical upgrades needed at the school are one of several reasons the Stoughton Board of Education voted last summer to close the school after the end of this school year.
In addition to costly upgrades, the 50-year-old facility is the casualty of a projected $1 million operational budget in the district. Combined with declining student enrollment to the tune of 50-100 students per year - and a state funding formula that hurts low-spending districts such as Stoughton, the board felt closing Yahara was a fiscally responsible alternative.
"Once the decision was made, we quickly moved into long-range planning about how best to execute that decision in a way that's best for the district and its families," said Supt. Mary Gavigan. She said carrying out that decision has occurred in several phases, including re-examining district boundary lines, curricular and programming changes, as well as an administrative leadership plan (last year River Bluff principal Rich Pertzborn retired, allowing a shift of leadership and retention of current principals. Trish gates, former principal at Sandhill, moved to River Bluff. Cheryl Price, former principal at Yahara, moved to Sandhill. And Barb Wood, a former Yahara principal re-joined the administrative team for a one-year contract with the district as Yahara's principal).
"We have been so fortunate to have Barb return here for the final year of Yahara," Gavigan noted.
With Yahara's closing, the district needed to decide what to do with the school: maintain it for possible future use, keep just the "new" gym open for community use, or sell it.
For the next two years, the district has contracts with Martin Luther Christian Schools and Pumpkin Patch Preschool to lease space in the building, and according to Erica Pickett, director of business services with the district, the board has "talked about wanting to explore long term options" regarding Yahara's future.
For now, though, the Yahara family - students, staff and alumni - are celebrating a pivotal year for the district's oldest operating school with its 50th anniversary and closing happening cooperatively.
Grand beginnings
Yahara's opening celebration happened the month following its initial start, in October of 1960. About 250 people gathered to watch the installation of the school's cornerstone - and much fanfare surrounded the school. At the time, Yahara was considered "one of the best new (school) buildings in the state," according to an official comment in the Courier Hub, in that October, 1960 issue. Built by Charles Woerhl & Associates Architects of Madison, Yahara was constructed with steel curtain walls and promoted its asbestos tile floor - considered modern materials back then. It featured nine classrooms including two kindergarten rooms, as well as a room for speech, kitchen and utility spaces, a music room and even dressing rooms with showers.
According to Dennis Barkenhagen, director of buildings and grounds for the district, the steel, curtain wall was popular post war, because the materials were cheap and a sudden boom in the population of children (the baby boomer generation) meant districts needed to put up schools - fast. For example, Kegonsa Elementary (with similar construction) was built a mere two years later.
"What they did basically was throw a slab of concrete down and steel framework and metal, curtain walls," said Barkenhagen. "They were thin walls - only a few inches thick. So you have a sheet of metal, insulation, and then another sheet of metal for the walls.
"The idea was that you could easily take down the wall and reconfigure it, which made the building flexible in that way," Barkenhagen continued. "Today we classify that as 'lightweight construction.' In comparison, when we built the pool we constructed the building out of eight-inch thick block . . .
"These are the schools that are being replaced today because they are lightweight and back then they didn't have air conditioning in the schools or indoor air quality measures - they basically had exhaust fans on the roof. So stuff has had to be adapted and added onto since then."
What Barkenhagen is referring to are the two major renovations/repairs done to the school, first in 1974 and secondly, during the 1996 building referendum (as well as a new roof put on about 1995).
In 1974, work done to Yahara - formerly an "H" style building, included filling in two courtyard areas to add nine classrooms as well as a library.
During the 1996 building referendum, taxpayers lent $1 million to the district to upgrade Yahara's electrical and lighting, a brand new gym and a facelift to the front entrance, which included brick fascia on the bottom four-feet of the school, Barkenhagen said. Ironically, the administration kicked around the idea of closing the school at that time as well - but ultimately decided to move forward with the renovation.
School history
Yahara's first principal was Ruth Peterson, and a student named Howard Svalheim reportedly came up with Yahara's name (presumably the staff turned to the students for suggestions, as is the case in some districts still today).
As the Yahara family enters the final phase of its last year, students again will play an important role by contributing to and participating in several transition events. According to Barb Wood, interim principal at Yahara (and principal from 1986-1993), the staff, students and Working For Kids groups developed several activities for students and their families to help ease those transitions.
Wood said everything from parent meetings, school open houses (with tours and meet the staff activities), principal -to-school visits and collaborative art projects are planned K-8. And an entire week dedicated to celebrating Yahara is planned in June for Yahara families, kicking off with day and evening celebrations June 3.
Yahara will even have a presence in this year's Syttende Mai parade, titled, "50 years of Academic excellence: With Thanks to the Stars and Star Polishers Past and Present."
"Just watching how this district has managed this huge transition . . . the range of activities planned this spring are (amazing)," said Gavigan. "As we acknowledge the closing of Yahara and celebrate past accomplishments, as a community, we can feel proud. It's really been about all of us working together to support youth and their families in these transitions," Gavigan continued. "We're very proud of the Yahara contribution."
*This article is Part I in a series that will lead up to Yahara's final days, detailing the events surrounding the Yahara school consolidation process.
See future issues of the Courier Hub for a report on the moving process, detailed list of upcoming celebratory and transition events happening in the district, a Yahara all-school photo; staff, parent and student memories and more!
