Wayzata School Board Directs Staff to Plan for Growing Enrollment

Due to enrollment growth in the district that is projected to increase twice as fast in the next ten years as it has in the past ten years, the Wayzata School Board has directed staff to present a plan and proposed funding model at its September 9 board meeting for expanding building capacity through additions and/or new buildings.

The boost in enrollment growth and pressure on facilities is based on three primary factors:

• More students already in the schools: Incoming classes from the three middle schools to Wayzata High School will each be 50-100 students higher than they have been, resulting in high school growth of up to 900 resident students in the next ten years. Birth rates are also on the rise.
• More houses being built: There are an unprecedented number of new housing developments underway in the northern part of the school district, most of which are anticipated to bring in additional school-age children. 1,600 new homes are expected to be built in the next four years within the district boundaries, primarily in the cities of Plymouth, Corcoran, Maple Grove and Medina.
• More classrooms needed for all-day Kindergarten: The state’s decision to fund all-day Kindergarten statewide will create the need for additional classrooms at all elementary schools to manage the increased demand.

“We are honored that so many families want to live within the Wayzata School District to receive the quality education the district has long been known for,” said Superintendent Chace Anderson. “To allow us to focus on our growing resident student population, we had to close open enrollment two years ago. These students are our resident students, and we need to provide them with the space they need to learn and thrive.”

Based on months of work by a citizen facilities task force, the District’s facilities committee and research about the district’s population, the Wayzata School Board and staff are prioritizing how to manage the projected student growth. The District has been working on a long-range facilities plan since 2010 with the help of Wold Architects to address building needs and capacity issues.

The space pressure is especially acute at the elementary and high school level, resulting in proposals for a new elementary school in the northern part of the district and an addition to the high school receiving the most attention. The enrollment growth is also putting pressure on the district’s infrastructure, particularly technology and security needs.

“Thanks to sound budgeting and proactive work by our Citizens Finance Advisory Committee, we have been fortunate to have a number of funding tools available to address our building needs up to now,” said School Board Chair Sue Droegemueller. “But this level of growth is beyond our current budget capacity and will likely require voter approved bond funding.”

To allow time for continued planning and communication with the community while still addressing the capacity issues in a timely way for students and families, the School Board anticipates a bond referendum may come before voters in 2014 to fund the building needs. Preliminary building estimates show total costs in excess of $100 million.

More information about the District’s plans to address enrollment growth – including enrollment charts and housing development information – is available at www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/growth.