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School district projects building capacity below limits; district to revisit building‑capacity formula this spring
Summary
Monona Grove School District representatives presented updated enrollment forecasts showing average building occupancy around 72% and recommended recalculating building capacities this spring before any reconfiguration decisions.
Monona Grove School District Superintendent Tanya (surname not specified) and Assistant Superintendent Kristen Sozinski (participating via Zoom) presented updated enrollment forecasts and building capacity figures to the Cottage Grove Village Board. The district reported average building occupancy at about 72 percent across its elementary schools (Taylor Prairie 70 percent; Cottage Grove School 70 percent; Granite Ridge 78 percent; Glacial Drumlin 77 percent) and noted combined capacity for 1,854 students in the service area under the current capacity assumptions.
The presentation did not account for hypothetical large‑scale new single‑family residential developments; it covered current resident students plus open‑enrollment students attending Cottage Grove schools. The district said it will update building capacities this spring because capacity formulas have changed since 2017 (the district’s last capacity set) and because the district is considering a move to neighborhood schools intended to reduce student transitions. Superintendent Tanya said the plan would be brought back to the finance and operations committee and to the board for a decision likely in late summer or early fall, with any changes taking effect in the 2026‑27 school year.
Questions from trustees covered whether any buildings were for sale (superintendent: “Nothing’s for sale right now”), how survey results will be published (survey closed Jan. 31; results to be reviewed and likely discussed at the board’s Feb. 12 finance meeting), and whether external consultants (EUA) will perform projections this year. The district said EUA will handle the updated projections at low or no cost.
Why it matters: The forecast shows available capacity in the near term, which affects discussions about school reconfiguration, facility use, and whether the district should consider selling or repurposing buildings. The district cautioned that projections beyond five years become less reliable and recommended focusing decisions on the five‑year horizon.
