2024 Repurposing Proposal

Currently, the community of Elk River is served by Elk River High School, Salk STEM Magnet Middle School, VandenBerge Middle School and four elementary schools - Twin Lakes, Parker, Lincoln and Meadowvale (from east to west). Elk River is also home to the District’s community high school and middle school at the Ivan Sand building.

A look at the student enrollment history and future projects highlight several trends:

• Elk River’s student enrollment has declined by more than 250 students since 2019-2020. 
• Facility utilization continues to drop, with a projected drop in student enrollment particularly impacting middle school grades in the future, leaving them at less than two-thirds capacity. 
• Elementary and high school enrollment will continue to remain steady.

To address these trends, along with increased support needed for alternative, special education, and multilingual learners within ISD 728, the Facilities Committee recommended the District explore ways to provide more specialized instruction for students with additional needs, and to maximize capacity within schools without building new and/or asking taxpayers to support an additional bond. More specifically, they recommended the District move fifth grade students in the four Elk River elementary schools to Salk and VandenBerge middle schools to align with what is happening in all of the elementary schools in Rogers and Otsego, and to repurpose one of the four existing Elk River elementary schools to serve ISD 728 students requiring additional and/or different support.

If the proposal was approved, fifth grade students in Elk River would move to Salk and/or VandenBerge Middle School, which would match and align with what is already happening at Hassan, Otsego, Prairie View, and Rogers elementary schools.  Feedback from families who have had children with fifth graders transition to the middle schools has been overwhelmingly positive. In particular, families have appreciated access to additional support and facilities, intentionality with still maintaining specialized programs, and being able to have the “best of both worlds.”  

If approved, this would likely happen for the 2025-2026 school year and would be communicated in the Fall of 2024, giving students, families and staff plenty of time to prepare.

The Facilities Task Force made this recommendation to the Board citing a variety of reasons including, but not limited to its desire to have more resources available for students with significant special needs, maximize building space in each of the schools, and to adapt to the District’s changing population needs. 

The District has identified two possible buildings for repurposing - Meadowvale and Parker elementary schools.

To date, the District has conducted a survey with residents and families across ISD 728, which was closed in mid-April. A report on this survey will be shared with the public later this Spring. 

ISD 728 has also conducted meetings with staff and leadership from the two buildings identified for possible repurposing, as well as with middle school leadership in regards to the expansion of Grade 5 into their buildings. 

The ISD 728 School Board has directed the Superintendent to continue to explore these options and to provide a recommendation to them for consideration in June 2024.  If supportive, the Board will then seek additional feedback from those impacted, and will take action in August 2024. In addition to discussing this possibility at several school board meetings and/or work sessions and prior to making a final decision, multiple communications will be shared with the public, at least one survey will be distributed to gather community feedback, and a public hearing will be held in July of 2024 for everyone who wants to participate.

In the meantime, District officials will continue to gather information and feedback, and to determine whether the recommendations make sense for ISD 728.  

If a recommendation from the Superintendent is made and the proposal was approved by the School Board in August, one of the elementary schools in Elk River would likely begin to be repurposed for the 2025-2026 school year. In this case, the District would begin communicating the information and working with families to discuss logistics, gather feedback about preferred programming, etc. in the Fall of 2024, approximately one year prior to any changes occuring.

A quick summary:  

• Student enrollment in Elk River has been declining for many years and it is expensive and inefficient to operate this way.
• Even after a school would be repurposed, the District would still be able to accommodate future student enrollment growth.
• Certain populations of students within ISD 728 need, deserve, and are required by law to have more specific and better programming, which requires different spaces than what is available now.
• Currently, students are being served throughout the District at many different sites, which makes it difficult to fund, staff, and provide adequate support for students.
• Residents, community members, families and the School Board have asked the District to maximize current facilities and to do everything possible and within its control before having to go back to the taxpayers and ask for additional funds. Building another or different facility would create additional expense and place more of a burden on the taxpayer. 

Repurposing would be:

• the most cost effective option 
• consistent with what other school districts have done successfully
• an effective way to provide more direct and better support for students who need it most
• the most efficient way to utilize building spaces and provide better and more access to facilities and programming
• done without negatively impacting taxpayers or having to ask voters to increase taxes
• an opportunity to better address high class sizes that often occur with and in schools with low enrollment
• consistent with what voters have asked the District to do.

ISD 728 continuously evaluates student needs, programming and facilities, while collaborating with the public, city and county partners, the state demographer, and families.  This has been the case for many years, but especially in the last seven (7) to 10 as it has experienced significant growth in both Otsego and Rogers.  Examples of this collaboration include, but are not limited to listening sessions, community surveys, multiple task forces, presentations at public School Board meetings, emails and videos from the District, etc.

This particular proposal and discussion began in 2015 when discussing boundary changes with the community, again in 2018 and 2019 when considering a referendum, and again in 2021-2022 through a Facilities Review and Planning Committee, which was formed with parents, staff and District leaders to examine building needs across the District.

In 2021-2022, the Facilities Review and Planning Committee considered and solicited feedback from all residents through a survey about: 

• Continued growth in the south that would, eventually, outpace the new building and spaces created by the 2019 bond. 

• Stagnant growth in the center of the District, particularly Elk River. 

• Additional needs for equitable resources, including but not limited to classroom space, activity areas and both required and needed classroom support for certain populations of students. 

• The ever-growing and increasing needs of students requiring special education services. 

• Ways to maximize resources without creating a need for higher taxes.

The Committee also discussed whether the District should consider moving portions of Otsego into the Elk River attendance area, the construction of another new school in the south (despite a promise not to turn to voters until 2028-2029), potential tax burdens the various proposals would have, community feedback, and the changing economy in Minnesota. Ultimately, repurposing a school and moving Elk River Grade 5 students to Salk and VandenBerge Middle Schools to align with what is already happening at Prairie View and Rogers Middle Schools were amongst the most supported and recommended proposals for the School Board to consider. 

In other words, the discussions between members of the committee, the public, staff and ISD 728 School Board regarding these decisions have been ongoing.

Below you will find information about some of those discussions, recommendations and presentations:

• 5/22/23 - Special School Board Meeting - Members of the Facilities Review and Planning Committee presented their recommendations for consideration. School Board Presentation: District Facilities Review and Planning Committee Recommendations 5/22/23

• 9/25/23 - School Board Work Session - The administration presented information relating to future facilities planning, including a review of the District Facilities Review and Planning Committee Statements of Consultation and next steps.  The School Board asked questions, provided input and requested additional information.  Future Focused Facility Planning Presentation 9/25/23 

• 10/10/23 - Regular School Board Meeting - As a follow up to the discussion held at the 9/25/23 Work Session regarding the facilities recommendations, Superintendent Bittman provided an update on the input received and additional information requested by School Board members.

• 10/23/23 - School Board Work Session -  Superintendent Bittman and Mr. Andy Almos, Executive Director of Business Services, facilitated a conversation with the School Board about previous facility recommendations received, while soliciting feedback and getting direction from the School Board.  

• 12/20/2023 -  Superintendent’s Holiday Message - Video sent to communities prior to Winter Break updating families and staff about the process and discussions.

• 3/2/2024 - Email communication to all ISD 728 Families and Staff. 

Information related to the cost of any potential project will be included in future presentations to the School Board and public, and is still being refined.  Costs will differ depending on the site chosen and programs to be placed at the site.

Population in the center part of the District - mainly Elk River and some surrounding townships - continues to decline or stay relatively constant with no signs of significant growth.  As a result and if changes are not made, school buildings are and will continue to be underutilized, resources will be not used as efficiently and directly to support students as they could, and students will not receive as much and/or needed support as they require and deserve.

As enrollment grows, there will be a need to do more in that area.  Before that time, however, both the District and Community feel that current space has to be maximized before considering future building and/or asking voters to pay higher taxes.

The District Facilities Review and Planning Committee recommended the District add classroom spaces at Rogers and Hassan elementary schools, look for ways to fund an aquatic facility in the South, and the need to purchase additional land to accommodate enrollment and population growth in Otsego and Rogers, all of which were supported by the School Board and will be considered in future planning.

Yes.  In fact, most school districts do combine alternative learning programs with other programs, and are thoughtful to separate the spaces, while allowing for shared facilities at different times (i.e. cafeteria, gym space, kitchens, science labs, etc.).  This increases efficiency and building capacity, while requiring less funding from taxpayers to maintain and operate multiple sites. ISD 728 is continuing to explore all factors, and will present the information to the School Board at a public meeting for discussion and feedback in March and June 2024.

Renovations that were made were necessary and required, regardless of how each facility is being used. For example, much of the work done was to update learning spaces, heating and cooling systems, roofing, etc. Prior to work completion, there were inequities between schools, which was not acceptable to families, the School Board, or other district and community members. These spaces will continue to be utilized well, and any required additional money spent will be a consideration for the Board to consider if and when selecting a school to repurpose.

Public opinion is always taken into consideration, which is why opportunities have been made available at multiple public school board meetings, a survey sent out, and a hearing scheduled. It is also the reason why the Community Task Force sent their proposals to all families and solicited their feedback before making the recommendations to the ISD 728 School Board.

ISD 728 Leadership and the School Board are committed to the involvement from our communities in providing feedback through this process. Our commitment in this process is to gather community input along the way to help inform the proposals as they are delivered to the School Board for decisions.

In March of 2024 the recommendation to the school board was delivered to the School Board as directed. The final recommendation will be delivered to the school board on June 10th, 2024. After that meeting a Public Hearing will be held in July. At the August 12, 2024 School Board Meeting the Board would be scheduled to make their decision.  

After the March 2024 School Board recommendations were delivered. ISD 728 sent information to families to inform of the proposals and request that they provide feedback in the form of a public survey that was open through March 26th, 2024 until April 15th, 2024.  

Community members, Families and students are also invited to share their questions via the District’s Let’s Chat page which gives our community members a chance to ask questions directly to the program and topic leaders on this and other District related topics.

The timeline was chosen based on what other school districts have done and had success with in similar situations. In addition, the specific needs of students identified to be served in a repurposed building are significant, and not something that we felt we could wait three to five more years to provide. Finally, we recognize that change is difficult for everyone involved. Making a decision and waiting three to five years to implement would be increasingly more challenging for all involved, especially staff.

No. If the board chooses not to approve the proposed changes the District would continue with the current models.

Redistricting and/or changing boundaries would require a significant amount of time, and one that the School Board would want to involve the community. As a result, those discussions will be held if and when a decision is made about repurposing.

When evaluating each of the elementary schools that could be repurposed, which include Lincoln, Meadowvale, Parker, and Twin Lakes, it has been determined that repurposing Meadowvale or Parker Elementary School would be most appropriate.

In terms of Twin Lakes Elementary School, enrollment increases near and around the school, population growth in the area, and continued housing development will require a school in that area, and may even require additional classroom space in future years. In addition, Twin Lakes is the newest central district elementary school and has design elements closest to the District’s facility standards.

In terms of Lincoln Elementary School, repurposing it would require significant funding to redo referendum-approved facility upgrades that totaled over $15 million dollars, Written differently, significant money would need to be spent to modify just completed upgrades designed to bring the building up to District standards as an elementary school. 

Meadowvale Elementary currently requires the most amount of work architecturally and mechanically as no significant renovations have occurred at this school since original construction. This site has the most flexibility with access and configuration. Renovating this site also has the most flexible funding options.

Parker Elementary requires the least amount of work to renovate but would mean redoing significant amounts of the work that was completed during the 2014 remodel. Long Term Facilities Maintenance funding would likely not be able to be used as much at this site.

Parker  is the smaller of the two elementary schools being considered. If chosen, it would maintain an additional 100 students of capacity in the center of the District.

Yes. There is ample space for students within the other elementary schools, and in some situations, would actually lower the teacher to student ratio and class sizes.

No. The more sections and/or teachers at a grade level, the easier it becomes to spread students out and lower class sizes.  

In addition, the District promised voters to maintain class sizes at the ratio it was prior to the 2019 referendum if the referendum was approved, which it has successfully been done and a commitment the School Board plans to keep.  

The bottom line is that in small schools, class sizes can often be either too large or too small, making it difficult to adjust.

In January of each year, projections for the following school year are developed, discussed, and finalized. Once finalized, the business department will calculate the budgetary impact of the projected enrollment and then the Executive Cabinet determines how many FTE the district will allocate for the following year. During this process, the goal for the Executive Cabinet is to keep the average elementary class size at or below 25.4.

After the Executive Cabinet determines overall staffing, sections are allocated to buildings based on the 25.4 ratio with  the caveat that we try to keep our primary grades (K-2) class size lower than our intermediate grades (3-5). In addition, because of larger or smaller classes moving through a building, there can be impacts to the class sizes at particular grade levels. It is these differing grade sizes, especially at our buildings that have lower enrollment, that can cause large deviations in either direction. After initial allocations in January, we continually monitor building enrollments to determine if additional changes need to be made based on high class sizes at a building.

This process has been our process for the recent past and, invariably, there will be situations when the class sizes at a particular grade in a building will be larger than we would like.

If the proposal would be approved:

• Elk River students who would be in fifth grade in the fall of 2025 would  begin their time at Salk or VandenBerge Middle in September of 2025.

• Repurposed site students would attend their new school beginning in September 2025.

• Renovations at the repurposed building would take place during the 2025-2026 school year.

• The majority, if not all, students attending the new repurposed site would likely start in September of 2026.

Students who were approved for an in-district transfer to a school that is not going to be repurposed will have the option of remaining in that school or attending their assigned school based on their home attendance area.

The goal of the process will be to move as few students as possible. That being said, we will want to develop attendance zones that make sense for our families and provide equitable learning opportunities for all of our students. The District remains committed to involving parents in the discussions and to providing communication as decisions get made.

Initially, students who are attending the repurposed school will be assigned to a different school in the Elk River area based on their home address. After their assignment, parents will be able to apply for an in-district transfer using our established process and transfers will be approved on a space-available basis.

This is a two part plan. One part has to do with how we will efficiently utilize space in our buildings now and into the future. By making the changes proposed, the District would  utilizing its spaces more efficiency, freeing up space for the proposed repurposed building programs without raising taxes, and providing additional programming for students with special needs that is currently not available in ISD 728.

Yes.

This answer would require more time and may better be addressed in person to cover so many details. However, in short, while there may be some uncertainty initially, past experiences indicated that our schools and families have navigated these types of situations extremely well and that we have had much success. We are thoughtful in involving parents in planning, inviting families to orientations, and meeting individually when concerns and/or questions arise. We also have an amazing staff who make themselves available to support including but not limited to assistants, teachers, principals, social workers, etc.

The majority of feedback from parents/guardians who have children at Prairie View and Rogers Middle School indicates that the transition has been a success. Initially, parents/guardians had questions related to things such as how their fifth grade students would interact with students in other grades, whether there would be time for physical activity (i.e. recess), and what programming would be available. Having lived it now, parents/guardians have shared their appreciation for the District’s staff, intentional efforts made to support their children, access to additional resources and facilities, and consistency across the elementary schools. The District collected this data informally through events held at the school such as, but not limited to conferences, concerts, and other school sponsored events.  In other words, the District does not maintain the data in way to be shared. Fortunately, the District has been blessed with a community that is very comfortable with sharing feedback for all things, especially when they go extremely well or poorly.

Examples of feedback from the 2024 Survey indicating favorable experience and interest with 5th Grade in Middle School HERE

Students can expect continued consistent and quality instruction in English Language Arts, Math, Health/Science, Social Studies and in fields such as Art, Music, and Physical Education on a rotating basis. If approved by the School Board, District representatives would form a Committee of staff and parents during the 2024-2025 School year to gather feedback, answer questions, and discuss other programming possibilities.

These decisions will be decided at a later time and after consultation with staff, administration, families and the School Board. As an example, currently at Rogers and Prairie View Middle Schools, fifth grade students are concentrated in a special “pod” area so they can be together and have their needs met. Grade 5 students also typically have their own lunch periods, access to specialized programming such as music, art and gym, and other activities at separate times from those in older grades. These practices are already in place at Prairie View and Rogers Middle Schools and have been successful.

Though we could replicate what we have done successfully at Rogers and Prairie View Middle Schools, we are interested to explore possibilities and continuity as we would now be adding schools into the model adopted at Rogers and Prairie View Middle School. If the proposal is approved, a committee of staff and parents/guardians would be created to discuss fifth grade programming possibilities, hopes, and dreams.

Yes. Currently our middle schools are operating at approximately 65% of the total possible student occupancy. Meaning, that there may be some shifts in how current classrooms and spaces are used but there is adequate space for the proposed increases. As for the structure and design of the programming at the building, these decisions will be decided at a later time and after consultation with staff, administration, families and the School Board.

Yes. There are a number of school districts in Minnesota and across the country, including our neighbor, St. Michael-Albertville, that have had fifth grade students at the middle school for decades.

ISD 728 has taken several steps to create relationships between students in different grades at the secondary level. One example would be WEB, or “Where Everyone Belongs,” which is a program that utilizes student leaders identified in Grade 8. WEB leaders welcome Grade 5 students to buildings via special events, including a special day prior to the school year, establishing that bond between grades.

In addition, District representatives continue to be intentional with scheduling, monitoring, and creating authentic opportunities to engage and connect with its fifth grade students to ensure they are not only comfortable, but thriving.  

More information can be gained through parent participation in Back-to-School events, open houses, or by contacting your building principal with any questions or concerns.

With additions and renovations at buildings across our District, Salk and VandenBerge middle schools are not, in fact, much larger than our larger elementary schools. Furthermore, fifth grade students are typically concentrated in a special “pod” area so they can be together and have their needs met. Grade 5 students also typically have their own lunch periods, access to specialized programming such as music, art and gym, and other activities at separate times from those in older grades. These practices are already in place at Prairie View and Rogers middle schools and have been successful.

It is the responsibility of all staff and administration to ensure alignment and educational success. Because fifth grade students are already attending middle schools in the southern part of the district, we believe better alignment and programming would be possible.

Students can expect continued consistent and quality instruction in English Language Arts, Math, Health/Science, Social Studies and in fields such as Art, Music, and Physical Education on a rotating basis. We are also hopeful that having aligned programming across the District will create opportunities for even more programming for our students. If the proposal is approved, we would create a committee of parents and staff to consider possibilities, hopes and dreams.

Potential Populations Served in a Repurposed Facility: Facilities like what is being explored and considered are common throughout school districts in the area, Minnesota, and nationally. In terms of ISD 728, students in the five programs identified would be considered. The first three are for students with disabilities who demonstrate needs that require highly specialized programming.

1. Federal Setting IV Behavior Program (Journey & Focus programs currently served at Meadowvale and VandenBerge): Tailored for students in grades K-12 exhibiting significant behavioral needs, this program aims to enhance students' proficiency in a comprehensive array of social and emotional skills. The primary objective is to enable them to apply these skills across various settings.

2. Federal Setting IV Communicative Disorders Program (new program to meet an identified need): Geared towards students in grades K-12 with notable communication and behavioral needs, this program would focus on fostering independence and honing skills in functional communication and self-regulation.

3. Transition Programs (COMPASS currently at the ISD 728 District Office/ ERHS): Designed for students ages 18-22 who have not yet to achieve their Individual Education Program (IEP) goals, necessitating additional services prior to graduation. The program offers life skills and work exploration with the goal of preparing students for a smooth transition into adult life.

4. Alternative to Suspension (new program to meet an identified need): Designed as an alternative to the traditional out-of-school suspension for secondary students, this program would instruct students on the essential skills required for success in future challenging situations, as well as provide restorative justice opportunities. 

5. Alternative Learning Center (Currently Served at Ivan Sand): As a non-traditional middle and high school catering to students with diverse or unique needs, this program is designed to help students receive individualized attention to succeed in meeting the same graduation requirements as students across the district and the state. A variety of strategies are implemented including smaller group settings and a strong emphasis on personal, social, and emotional growth.

While the number of students served in a repurposed building would depend on such things as the programs located at the site, year to year enrollment trends, and the specific needs of students within ISD 728, anticipated enrollment would be between 250 and 350 students.

By definition and current practice, these programs are intended for students who educationally benefit from an alternate learning location. Facilities like what is being explored and considered are common throughout school districts in the area, Minnesota, and nationally.

Level IV and alternative learning facilities are common in most school districts as they are considered to provide the best programming and most appropriate spaces for certain groups of students.

Programs that would benefit from repurposed space have certainly been identified. Depending on the building selected, and spaces available, we would then determine the programs that would move to the new location. Written differently, the selected site may not be able to house all of the program and students. These factors are currently being evaluated.

The number of students who would attend the “repurposed” site would depend on the number of programs identified. However, initial estimates indicate that approximately 250-350 students would attend. Moreover, data trends in ISD 728 and throughout Minnesota indicate these numbers will continue to grow exponentially.

Yes. In fact, most school districts do combine alternative learning programs with other programs, and are thoughtful to separate the spaces, while allowing for shared facilities at different times (i.e. cafeteria, gym space, kitchens, science labs, etc.). This increases efficiency and building capacity, while requiring less funding from taxpayers to maintain and operate multiple sites. ISD 728 is continuing to explore all factors, and will present the information to the School Board at a public meeting for discussion and feedback in March and June 2024.

Programs that are being considered will serve students who live  throughout the District.

ISD 728 Staff that are assigned to the District provided programming would be assigned to work with the students at their newly repurposed school.

All school districts are mandated to offer a full range of special education services and settings for students with disabilities. These settings, determined by each student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, may include general education classrooms, special education classrooms, separate educational sites, or a combination. The goal is to provide services alongside same-aged peers without disabilities as much as possible.

As a district, we believe that a specially designed facility would better accommodate students with intense behavioral needs, while providing quality programming and ensuring safety in mainstream buildings. We also face a growing demand for secondary transition programming for students aged 18-22, with our current Compass program only serving about half of those in need.

Special Populations Enrollment- January 22, 2024 School Board Work Session

Special Education December Child Counts

There are currently no plans in the proposal for an ESL program to be located at the repurposed building.

Because we are at the proposal phase, no specific plans have been created yet for building design. After a building is selected and approved, the design phase would begin. Many factors would go into the design of the programming and student spaces including; defined student program areas, program entrances at the building, and access to shared spaces like lunchrooms and outdoor spaces. Combining said programs is common throughout the Minnesota, and if proposed and approved, separate entrances and classroom spaces would be part of the plan.

All school districts are mandated to offer a full range of special education services and settings for students with disabilities. These settings, determined by each student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, may include general education classrooms, special education classrooms, separate educational sites, or a combination. The goal is to provide services alongside same-aged peers without disabilities as much as possible.

As a District, we believe that a specially designed facility would better accommodate students with intense behavioral needs, while providing quality programming and ensuring safety in mainstream buildings. We also face a growing demand for secondary transition programming for students aged 18-22 with our current Compass program only serving about half of those in need.

This facility would also provide programming that is not currently provided in ISD 728 so that ISD 728 families do not need to seek other school districts or limit their child’s opportunities.

The Elk River Community has a number of  additional options for families, all of which create choice for families.  Examples include but are not limited to Spectrum, Three Rivers Montessori and St. Andrews.

Yes, the district routinely uses data from its city and county partners including, but not limited to housing starts and build type, city demographics, total population, census data and state demographer data.

It also takes into consideration current and future construction and infrastructure projects.

This concept would increase  building utilization as follows:

• Elementary schools would increase from 90% to 95%

• Middle schools would increase from 65% to 85%

Facilities Review and Planning Committee School Board Presentation 5/22/233

There are two primary reasons:

1. Elk River elementary and middle schools are not utilizing their space efficiently now and would continue to operate inefficiently if nothing changed.
2. Additional programming is needed for certain student populations within ISD 728, and this plan would provide that programming so that families do not need to go to other school districts to receive the programming and/or limit their child’s opportunities.

In 2019-2020 District enrollment in the center of the district declined and has held relatively steady since that time.  

Since the year 2019, District numbers in the center of the district have not returned to the pre 2019-2020 numbers.

As we project forward we do not anticipate seeing those numbers return to the 2019-2020 and before level.

In addition, though our elementary class sizes are stagnant in certain schools,  the incoming Kindergarten classes are lower than our graduating classes, thus continuing the decline.  

With all of that information we do not see the possibility of improving our building under utilization at our Middle School levels in the center of the district.  

Facilities Review and Planning Committee School Board Presentation 5/22/233

Savings are difficult to predict as costs will depend on things such as, but not limited to the programs that would be served, utility costs, and overall enrollment. What we can say, is that if the District was not to operate two additional sites (i.e. an elementary school and Ivan Sands, there would be some savings).

 It would be unusual and different for the District to conduct an outside survey due to cost and the typical topics for which we seek feedback. The process for delivering surveys has been done this way for many years as a result of its success and our community’s willingness to engage and share feedback. The District did hire an outside company to facilitate a survey for the referendum in 2019. That was primarily done because the District has no experience and/or expertise with gathering information about topics specific to a referendum such as, but not limited to tax tolerance, and how much voters were willing and interested to spend on the various priorities the community identified.

Spring 2023 Survey Summary for the Facilities Usage Committee

March/ April 2024 Survey Summary on Proposed Changes

March/ April 2024 Survey, All Responses

If students in the center of the District were moved to a middle school and offered additional programming to align with what is happening in the south, the District’s intent would be to make sure ALL students, including those at Westwood would get the same access.

No. There is sufficient space in Zimmerman and thus, fifth grade students would remain at Westwood and instead, have any additional programming available brought to them.

ISD 728 continues to see rapid growth in the southern third of the District, namely Otsego. With continued housing development and large, commercial projects both in planning stages, the District should prepare for another school building in this area. At this time, determining what population (elementary vs. secondary) that building would serve is a long way down the road, but ISD 728 would save taxpayers money, in the long run, by finding a suitable location in the near future.

Yes. This concept was considered by the Facilities Review and Planning Committee. The committee determined that though preschool would certainly be a viable option for moving into Elementary school spaces, there are numerous other programs and services that are housed at the Handke Center that would need to be relocated as well. Roughly half of the classroom spaces at Handke are dedicated to early childhood programs.

The costs of renovating Handke would also be a factor as the recent updates to the Handke Center were purposely designed for, early childhood programs and students, Community Education Classes and Adult Basic Education spaces.

Currently, the Handke Center has classrooms dedicated to the Preschool Discovery Learning program, ECSE Center Based program, the Adult Basic Education program, Early Childhood Screening, and Early Childhood Family Education programs. In addition, Community Education shares many of these spaces for Music Lessons, Art Classes, Fitness Programs and General Enrichment programs for youth through adults. Also, office space is dedicated to District-wide special education services, Early Childhood Special Education, the American Indian Education program, and Community Education programmers, managers and office staff. To date, the Handke building has two classrooms that are not used as regular classroom space and are used for Community Education classes, staff meetings, and overflow classrooms for programs that require temporary space a few times a week. 

This was considered by the Facilities review and Planning Committee. At the time investments were made to the Handke Center to be designed for the participants that are served by that building, there were not the needed spaces at our Elementary sites to house preschool in center of the district (Elk River) buildings. Due to that limitation the Handke Center was selected and designed as the Elk River Early Childhood designated site.

All staff have had the opportunity to complete a survey (sent 3/26/24), provide feedback on community recommendations, and to speak with the Board. In terms of whether staff will have “a say in where they will go,” staff will be involved in the process and have an opportunity to share their preferences and  provide input. 

The number of teachers that are employed coincides with the number of students the District serves. In other words, if enrollment stays the same or increases, it would be unlikely that any probationary teacher would lose their job as a result of repurposing a school.

The number of staff that are employed coincides with the number of students the District serves.  In other words, if enrollment stays the same or increases, it would be unlikely that any staff would lose their job as a result of repurposing a school.

In addition, we are a growing District, naturally experience turnover for things like retirement, and like other corporations, are experiencing a challenging labor market and thus have a variety of vacancies we have been unable to fill.  With all that said, it would be unlikely that employees would not have a position in the District if the decision was made to repurpose a building.

ISD 728 has considered that option in the past. Because ISD 728 currently has fifth grade students attending middle schools in the southern part of the district, the currently proposed option was considered to be the most appropriate and beneficial for students and families at this time.

The proposal that is being considered would be to include programming for Ivan Sand at the newly repurposed building.  In terms of the current, physical building…that decision would need to be made by the School Board.

Yes. The discussion about repurposing has been happening for many years, and the District currently has many different models in place. Up until Prairie View Middle School was built, the District had Early Childhood through 8th grade in one school.  Currently, the District has schools that serve Early Childhood through Grade 4; Kindergarten - Grade 2; Grades 3 - Grades 5; Grades 5-8; Grades 6-12; and Grades 9-12. Written differently, many models are currently in place and have already been successful. The proposed model was recommended because it would align with all of the elementary and middle schools in Otsego and Rogers, and provide the flexibility for additional and consistent opportunities and student programming. It would also provide additional programming for certain students that is not currently available within ISD 728.

There have been some emails in recent days that were found in our email SPAM folders. As it was explained to District leadership, when a sender sends emails with similar content to multiple people the SPAM filters identify that communication and route it to the SPAM folder. We continue to investigate this situation and have requested that our District leaders monitor their SPAM folders for possible communications that require a response.