Board approves $39,000 enrollment and facilities study to guide long-term school boundaries and capacity planning

The Stevens Point Area Public School District board on Jan. 13 approved a $39,000 contract with consulting firm MD Roffers to produce long-term enrollment projections and a facilities utilization study.

The board authorized using existing budget savings from unfilled positions to pay the cost, which the administration said leaves the budget neutral for the current year.

The study will produce enrollment forecasts through 2040, neighborhood-level projections (the consultants expect roughly 80–90 neighborhoods), housing-unit growth forecasts by type, and school-level capacity analyses. MD Roffers representatives Mark Roffers and Nick Johnson told the board their work will combine demographic trends (births, reproductive-age population), housing turnover and new development, and local planning and real-estate input. The firm said it typically completes the work in four to five months and delivers a detailed report and presentation to the district.

Why it matters: Board members said the district has several elementary schools with capacity pressures while others are underutilized. Supporters of the contract argued that an independent, long-range projection will reduce the risk of repeated redistricting by giving the board and administration a more defensible, data-driven foundation for boundary or grade-configuration changes.

Key points MD Roffers will deliver, as described in the presentation: neighborhood (small-area) projections rather than only district-wide trends; breakdowns by housing type (single-family versus multifamily) because student generation rates differ by housing; resident-enrollment projections by grade and school; interim projection years (2027, 2030, 2035, 2040); and scenarios for open enrollment or grade-shift options.

Board debate and vote: Trustees asked whether the district could do a more modest internal analysis, whether the work would include projections of sub-pay or substitute staffing impacts, and how long-term projections would avoid disrupting families. Supporters — including board member Will — said the expense is modest relative to the district budget and is budget-neutral this year; opponents raised concerns that the district could instead reassign internal staff time and questioned whether purchasing external consulting was the right use of unfilled‑position dollars.

A motion by Will to approve the MD Roffers contract was seconded by Ted and passed on a voice vote; one board member voiced a nay and the motion carried.

Next steps: MD Roffers will begin site and data work, meet with municipal planners and local real-estate/development stakeholders, and return with a final report and presentation to the board when the study is complete.

Ending: The board and administration described the study as an input for future facility and boundary decisions — not an immediate commitment to redistricting — and said any proposals that follow would return for public discussion and formal board action.