Wisconsin School for the Deaf - The Wisconsin Times Vol. 133 No. 2 Winter 2011-2012 | Page 14

After the fourth design was chosen, Department of Administration gave $4.9 million dollars to complete
the building. Before the construction of the new building can begin, it had to go through the final
bureaucratic steps for final approval. The final step was the building commission. Several individuals
including Alex Slappey testified in favor of the building. An individual did testify in opposition requesting
the building commission to allocate the funding instead toward remodeling Walker Hall. In the end,
the building commission voted unanimously in favor of the new building. Governor Scott Walker then
signed the order approving the new building. The current schedule is for ground to be broken for the new
building in the spring of 2012. The building is slated to be completed in time for the beginning of the
2013-2014 academic year.
The new building currently has no name. It will not be named Walker Hall again due to the landmark
committee’s rule requiring that the name be buried with the building when it goes down. The building will
be named following a proper procedure set up by the landmark committee.

Present day Walker stairwell
and bulletin board areas
were voted by high school
students and staff as one of
the most iconic locations in
the building. This is where
the students congregate to
catch up on news, check
out events on the calendar
and climb the stairs to their
various classes.

Winter 2012 - 14