West Bend, Wi – In a bold step toward expansion and a vision decades in the making, Ozaukee Christian School (OCS) has officially submitted an offer to purchase the former University of Wisconsin–Washington County campus. The move could dramatically accelerate the school’s longstanding dream of expanding to a high school and centralizing operations at a single, state-of-the-art facility.
“We’ve put in an offer to purchase the former UW-Washington County building and some of the acreage along with it,” said OCS Interim Head of School Chris Bergstresser.
The proposal, which includes approximately 220,000 square feet of existing educational space, is now under review by a Washington County task force. A recommendation is expected soon, with the matter going before the full Washington County board for a final vote on August 13, 2025.
From Strip Club to School: The OCS Journey
OCS’s story is anything but ordinary. What began in a church basement in Port Washington later transformed into a Christian school on the grounds of a former strip club in the Town of Trenton. Now, this latest chapter may mark the most significant shift yet.
The school, currently serving K3 through eighth grade with a growing enrollment of 140 students, has long desired to expand adding a high school.
The original plan involved building a new campus from the ground up on 38 acres at Poplar and East Washington Streets in the Town of Trenton; OCS closed on the purchase of the property in June 2025.
“We hired an architect and general contractor, and they estimated a full buildout could take 20-plus years and cost a substantial amount of money,” Bergstresser said. “Then when discussions began between us and the county with the opportunity to consider the UW-WC building, it just made so much sense.”
A Turnkey Campus and Cost-Saving Opportunity
UW-Washington County is a former college campus, 400 S. University Avenue, in West Bend, Wi, with existing infrastructure well-suited to a school setting, including science labs, athletic facilities, large lecture halls, and even a theater.
“Our plans for a new build were around 185,000 square feet. This building is 220,000 square feet. So not only does it exceed what we planned, it’s already there—and in very sound structural shape,” said Bergstresser.
OCS estimates the purchase, and renovation would cost less than half the cost of just the first phase of the original expansion plan.
A Home for High School and More
If approved, OCS plans to offer high school classes at the site in the 2026–2027 school year, starting with ninth grade and expanding annually. The initial move would also include middle school students, with the younger grades following once renovations are complete.
“We’ll have designated wings—an early education and elementary wing, a middle school wing, and a high school wing. Each will have its own entrance, feel, and age-appropriate layout,” Bergstresser said.
To help fund the acquisition, the school has relied on generous donors and plans to lease its current farmland for continued agricultural use while determining long-term plans for the Trenton property.
A Central Location to Expand Reach
The former UW-Washington County campus lies near the intersection of Highway 45 and Highway 33, giving OCS access to a much wider geographical footprint.
“Most of our families now come from east of us, with a growing population from West Bend and surrounding areas. This move would allow us to reach new communities—Hartford, Slinger, Dodge County—and have an even greater impact,” said Bergstresser.
Partnership Potential and Religious Vision
Though officially a non-denominational Christian school, OCS is exploring potential partnerships.
“We see a need. There is no non-denominational Christian high school within a 30-mile radius. We’re here to fill that gap and serve our community and churches,” Bergstresser said.
The school also plans to convert existing lecture halls into a worship center and chapel space, ensuring faith remains central to the student experience.
Next Steps
If the proposal is approved in August, the school hopes to begin phased occupancy in early 2026.
Bergstresser emphasized that while the process remains in motion, the school is placing its trust in divine guidance.
“We’ve prayed over this extensively. If this is where God wants us, we’ll be there. If not, we know He has a different plan for us. But everything about this feels like a door being opened.”
From College Campus to Kingdom Work
As OCS stands at a crossroads, the excitement in the community is palpable.
“We’ve gone from a church basement, to a converted strip club, and now possibly into a former college campus. It’s just amazing to see how God continues to move in our story,” Bergstresser said.
Pending approval, the building won’t remain dormant long. OCS is already exploring community partnerships to lease portions of the facility for shared use, ensuring the space is active, supported, and contributing to the community.
For now, all eyes are on the county board’s decision. But for OCS, the vision is clear: provide a Christ-centered, academically excellent environment for students from preschool through high school—all under one roof, ready to shape the next generation.
The Washington County task force meets first, and then the issue will be taken up by the full Washington County Board on August 13.
In His Grace,
Chris Bergstresser
Interim Head of School
Ozaukee Christian School
This is a working story, and more information will be posted when details are available.
Town of Trenton, WI – Ozaukee Christian School (OCS) is announcing plans to purchase the former UW-Washington County Building and adjacent acreage at 400 S. University Drive in West Bend, Wi.
OCS plans to section the 220,000-square-foot building into early education, middle school, and high school wings with the intent to begin high school classes in the 2026-2027 school year.
The proposal to purchase is under review by a Washington County task force. Following its meeting a final decision by the full county board is expected in August 2025.
A note to parents and staff sent by Chris Bergstresser, the Interim Head of School at OCS is below.
One of the consistent themes you will hear throughout the halls of Ozaukee Christian School is that God is on the move.
From our humble beginnings in Port Washington, to seeing God use OCS to convert a strip club into a Christian school in Trenton; there is no doubt that God is on the move.
As we continue to grow, the board and administration have recognized the need to offer high school. There are currently no non-denominational evangelical Christian high schools in Ozaukee or Washington counties.
Since our inception, OCS has offered educational opportunities to K-8th grade students exclusively, but we feel God is moving us to expand and offer 9th grade classes starting in the 2026/27 school year.
In a step of faith, we purchased 38 acres of land in the Town of Trenton adjacent to our existing property with the intention of building a new facility that would house our entire K-12 program.
We began working with both Abacus Architects and Jos. Schmitt construction on due diligence and the design phase of a new building. We started realizing that this phased build would cost us a substantial amount of money.
The land would require septic systems, wells, and we would have over $1 million in expenses to run the needed electricity to the property. This was going to be a long and costly project.
Shortly after we hired Jos. Schmitt, God once again began having discussions regarding the purchase of the UWM-WC property and we decided that it was worth it to take seriously consider this building.
After several tours with key stakeholders, our architect and general contractor, and many hours of prayer and fasting, we decided to move forward with making a proposal on this property.
The former UWM-WC building is bigger than our total design of the new build we had planned, and it has the facilities to house our entire school almost immediately, at a fraction of the cost.
We submitted an official offer to the Washington County UWM-WC Task Force to purchase the building and some surrounding acreage for sports fields.
We believe this building will allow us to continue our vision of cultivating the next generation to impact the world for God’s glory, and it will allow us to form some key partnerships within the West Bend community and its churches.
We are excited about how God is moving at OCS, and we look forward to seeing how He uses us in the West Bend community for His glory. Questions and discussion should be directed to me at cberg@ozaukeechristian.org
In His Grace,
Chris Bergstresser
Interim Head of School
Ozaukee Christian School
Below is a timeline of the campus closure and discussion regarding proposed next steps for the facility.
West Bend, Wi – There’s going to be a special West Bend common council meeting on Monday, August 12, 2024 at UW-Washington County Campus. No information was provided in the agenda packet. The outline of the meeting is below. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public. UW-WC is at 400 S. University Drive in West Bend, WI.
There are no details on whether the meeting is in the gym or the campus theatre. Watch for signage.
Below are previous stories about the closure of UW-Washington County.
West Bend, WI – The West Bend common council will adjourn into closed session tonight, August 5, 2024, to discuss the former UW-Washington County Campus.
Few details are available regarding the discussion.
The local UW campus closed at the end of June 2024.
Sobering images as all signage has been removed from UW-Washington County. The signage at the end of Campus and University Drive is now simply a white board. The electronic sign at Hwy 33 and University Drive has gone dark. All of the signs atop the building and entryway at the school itself are gone. It’s the official end of an era for West Bend/Washington County, WI.
The building now sits empty. Weeds have grown knee high in the parking lot as decisions have yet to be made regarding the future of the campus.
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According to UW-Milwaukee, “plans called for the Washington County campus to close by June 30, 2024.”
It was October 17, 2023, when the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee announced plans to close its UWM at Washington County campus. The directive came from Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman.
According to local sources, the parcel is owned by both the city of West Bend and Washington County. Both are reportedly vying for it. The county is reportedly looking to form a group to explore options.
Tonight’s meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 1115 S. Main Street. The meeting is free and open to the public.
This is a working story and more information will be posted when details are available.
In the meantime, a yellow poster hangs on the entrance door.
UWM at Washington County is closed to the public. If you require access please contact Campus Administrator Paul Price at priceap@uwm.edu. Violations will be subject to penalty under UWS 18.07 (2). Authority UWM Police 414-229-4627.
April 27, 2024 – West Bend, WI – The Last Shot event at UW-Washington County was one big reunion as over 150 alumni, student athletes, coaches, and teachers gathered to reminisce about the strong connections made over 52 years as the local University prepares to close its doors for good. Deb Butschlick organized the event as a way to give athletic trophies and photos, collected since 1968, a good home.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMAgV8yPx0E?si=4BhgA9hS7QKbi4b7]
The above broadcast featured speakers including Butschlick, men’s basketball coach Steve Murphy, soccer player/coach Marv Wolf, and former interim dean / athletic director / coach Tom Brigham.
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Steve Murphy – “I do want to recognize the amazing leadership we had, and I know Tom Brigham did an amazing job. A lot of us were fortunate for Deb Butschlick. She was always organizing things, making stuff happen, she took care of the kids. She was more than just an athletic director she was a mom to these kids; she was a teacher; she just took care of everything. Those of you that know her understand how important she was to this school and in particular the program.”
Marv Wolf – “It was really a special time. We had the support here from the administration and all the things that were going on. We always had leadership, we had guidance, we had organization, we had wisdom, we had knowledge, and most importantly was friendship.”
Tom Brigham – “When we started every coach, I had was a faculty member. They did not receive a dime; they volunteered their time. These faculty members realized the value of athletics and how athletics change lives and athletics is a proving ground of how to be a better person. The other point is, if you look at the list of coaches, many of our coaches were prior students on the various teams. Those two elements prove to me that we must have been doing something good on this campus.
“In 2018 we were told by the UW that we were going to sunset the athlete program. I’m not going to get into the politics of it, but it was devastating to me. Then in 2023 we were told we are going to close the campus. We are going to take down the bricks and we are not going to exist anymore. That is a reality. One thing they’re not going to take away from me or any of these people are wonderful partnerships and the friends we developed.”
On May 23, 2024, there will be a final gathering at UW-Washington County. It will be a free event with music and dancing.
West Bend, WI – It was an eerie feeling walking past the ghostly empty trophy case at UW-Washington County. After opening in 1968 the local University is closing.
In order to salvage some history and do justice to student athletes who worked hard to balance academics and athletics a banquet is being held Friday, April 26, 2024, so people can give State trophies and plaques a good home.
The event was organized by former Athletic Director Deb Butschlick. ”I bet if I rolled my old blue couch from my office onto the floor someone would bid on it,” she said.
Butschlick, who had been a part of UW-WC for 33 years, is spearheading an event called “The Last Shot” to give former student athletes a chance to reunite, reminisce, and give all the trophies and plaques a new permanent home.
The event, scheduled for a Friday night in April, aims to bring together former student athletes from as far back as 1968.
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“I got swamped with calls, emails, texts, Snapchats,” said Butschlick, reflecting on the community’s desire to see the school one last time. “We want to be able to see it and go through it one more time.”
“The Last Shot” will feature a buffet lunch, door prizes, and tours of the school. The unique aspect of the event is the door prizes, which will include trophies from past athletic achievements.
“Everything’s going to get thrown out, so that’s why this is my way to try to save history,” said Butschlick. “If they want a specific trophy, and they get their number picked, they’ll get a trophy.”
Former coaches expected to attend, include Steve Murphy, Tom Brigham, Mitch Burry, John Minz and others. The event is not a fundraiser but aims to cover expenses.
“The Last Shot” is an adult-only event, where former student athletes are welcome to bring a guest. Attendees can expect a nostalgic trip down memory lane with hundreds of pictures and trophies on display. The event will have a cash bar and opportunities to reconnect with old teammates and coaches.
Join us on Friday, April 26, 2024, from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium for a buffet dinner and celebration with the athletic community. A cash bar will be available starting at 5:30 p.m., and dinner begins at 6 pm.
Tours of the campus will be available. Several of the former coaches will also be present. Photos and other items that will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis during the banquet.
