Red Apple Elementary School, a similar program built on many of the same "optional school" principles, had previously opened in Franklin Elementary School during its final year in 1974. After Franklin was replaced with Walden, Red Apple shared space with the school and occupied the West Wing until 1986, when it moved into the former Washington Elementary School building on the city's north side. Walden III continued to occupy the Franklin building until the summer of 2018, when a major reorganization of the district's middle schools led to the McKinley Middle School building being left vacant. Walden moved into the McKinley building in the fall of 2018, because it offered better facilities than the Franklin building and more room for the growing student population. Hundreds of pieces of artwork made by students over the years were moved to the new building, and others which could not be moved, such as murals, were photographed for preservation by the Racine Heritage Museum.