The Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) Board of Education voted 6-0 to demolish Merrill Middle School during an Oct. 26 board meeting, despite efforts by the community to save the historical building.

Originally constructed in 1901, the school will be torn down to provide green space for the new Vel Phillips Middle School, which is set to open by fall of 2023, according to OASD.

A referendum on the general ballot was passed in November 2020, allocating $107 million for the construction of new elementary and middle schools, as well as the closing of deteriorating facilities.

The referendum never explicitly outlined any plans for the demolition of Merrill Middle School, though it mentioned the school’s “potential removal,” which has led many Oshkosh residents to criticize the referendum as intentionally vague.

Carol Stevenson, who spoke at the Oct. 26 meeting, said that she was unaware that the 2020 referendum entailed the possible demolition of Merrill Middle School.

“On the referendum, it was not clearly stated that Merrill would be demolished,” she said. “If the referendum had clearly stated that Merrill would be taken down, I think a number of people would probably have voted against the new middle school being built.”

School Board President Barbara Herzog acknowledged the concerns over the referendum’s wording, but said that it was approved by the board before ending up on the ballot. Herzog said that the floor plan for the new Vel Phillips school was undecided when the referendum was voted on, which is why it never explicitly stated any demolition plans.

“The concept of potentially removing Merrill is not new,” she said. “It was discussed during numerous meetings throughout 2020.”

Most of the ire toward the school’s demolition comes from community members who want to see the historic sections of the building maintained. A Facebook group named “Save Historic Merrill School” boasts nearly 800 members, and a petition aimed at saving the school has garnered roughly 1,300 signatures. Oshkosh resident Charles Williams, who also spoke during the Oct. 26 meeting, said that it is too early to vote because not all options have been considered.

“If you want to vote today, vote to tear down the post-1950 additions,” he said. “But we shouldn’t vote to take down the entire building without exploring all other options. We’ve lost so many buildings in this town. Merrill could be repurposed.”

Herzog said she listened to members of the “Save Merrill” community, and that the board considered preserving the historic 1901 and 1932 sections of Merrill.

“I had directed an administration to work with the ‘Save Merrill’ group to see if there could be a compromise reached while still providing enough green space,” she said. “The administration came back and [said] that it was not feasible to save parts of the building. There simply would not be enough room to save parts of the building.”

Herzog said that, while this was a difficult decision that was not taken lightly, the board’s guiding principle is putting students first. She also said that mementos from the school, including classroom doors, will be salvaged to preserve the unique style of the building.

“We recognize that the Merrill building is historic and beautiful,” she said. “But our main goal is serving students. We have a strategic goal related to equity, and we didn’t believe that the proposals from the ‘Save Merrill’ group were consistent with our guiding principle or our strategic plan.”

The Oct. 26 vote also allocated a maximum of $50,000 for the construction of a memorial to namesake James Merrill, Merrill architect Henry Auler and teacher and football coach Harold Schumerth. What the memorial will look like and where it will be located are yet to be decided.