Trane office building mentioned as potential site for future La Crosse high school

A big office building proposed for potential sale in La Crosse could find a new use within the local school district. 

That’s not definite, but converting the Trane headquarters building in south La Crosse into a school is an option being considered by superintendent Aaron Engel.

“If our community thinks that one high school’s in the future, obviously we would need a site,” Engel tells WIZM News. “Hard to find 40 available acres in the city of La Crosse, so, you know obviously if that comes up for sale, something we’d consider if the community wants to go in that direction.”    

One of the school district’s long-range plans would involve merging Logan and Central into a single high school, and moving middle schools into the existing high school buildings.  

Engel is seeking guidance from the public about whether having just one public high school would be more efficient for the district.

“To accommodate the 18-hundred students we have, the best approach would be a new building,” says Engel, and “improve our high school facilities to meet modern learning needs.”

Earlier this year, Trane announced plans to sell its office building near State Road School.