La Crosse School Superintendent, Dr. Aaron Engel, in studio to discuss the possibility of another closing school building receiving a historic designation, the prospect of building an indoor competitive pool, and he explains what the governor’s “400-year veto” means for La Crosse property taxes.

We also discussed Engel taking a new role in the National Guard as Senior Army Medical Department Branch Advisor at the Joint Force Headquarters in Madison. In that regard, we discussed what a potential deployment would look like if the U.S. went to war, and the Guard's history of helping with elections.

In terms of school district issues, Engel provided an update on last fall’s $53.5 million referendum, noting that the district will break ground on the new elementary school Monday. We also spent time on the proposal to build an indoor pool on the north side, including a working group exploring how the district and city could collaborate on the project.

In the second half of the show, we discussed Emerson Elementary School being nominated for a historic designation. The school is scheduled to close at the end of the 2026-27 school year, and the district is currently exploring future uses for the site. Engel expressed frustration with the timing of the nomination, citing the Lincoln Middle School sale as a warning for how historic status can limit developer interest. He also floated the idea that the city could come up with a more predictable process for designating buildings as historic..

Lastly, Engel explained how the “400-year veto” works after the La Crosse School Board accepted the $325 increase in per-pupil spending. He calculated the move costs district households roughly $5 a year in property taxes for a $200,000 home.