LACROSSE, Wis. – Schools Superintendent Aaron Engel said that merging Logan and Central high schools is a necessity regardless of a $195 million referendum going to voters in November. In an open letter, Engel said: “If the referendum fails, we will still need to consolidate. This means moving into two middle schools in the short term and consolidating into one high school and one middle school within our existing buildings in five to 10 years.” The consolidation has been popular in surveys to save duplicate expenses with two high schools, both of which are old with growing and costly maintenance needs. North Side merchants, however, have mounted stiff opposition to losing their Logan High — even though the Board plans to remodel the building as a middle school. Central also would become a middle school.
