Kennedy Elementary staff and parents urge MMSD to fix overcrowding, request trailers or boundary change

Kennedy Elementary teachers, staff and parents told the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education on Monday that severe overcrowding and limited instructional space are harming students — including children with individualized education programs (IEPs) — and asked the district for short‑ and longer‑term remedies.

Therapists and parents described crowded rooms, makeshift barriers and classrooms that have been created out of hallways, and they asked the board to authorize short‑term trailers, relocate four‑year‑old (4K) classes to nearby schools with capacity, and reexamine elementary attendance boundaries.

Why it matters: Speakers said lack of space is interfering with legally required services for students with IEPs, creating safety risks for other students, and limiting the district’s ability to provide small‑group instruction and therapy.

What speakers said Ashley Parker, an occupational therapist at Kennedy Elementary, described students coping with trauma and housing instability and said the school is “severely overcrowded.” She gave a concrete example of a minimally speaking student whose behavior included elopement and property damage, saying the intensive support team had concluded the child needs a “small controlled environment outside of the regular education classroom.” Parker said staff are failing to meet some students’ IEP needs because current facilities make safe, private interventions impossible.

Parent Tiana Clemens said Kennedy houses 579 students in a building listed with a capacity of 540 and that every available corner and hallway has been converted into classroom or instructional space. Clemens asked the board to consider an emergency boundary change for the coming school year if immediate relocation of four‑year‑old classes or temporary trailers is not feasible.

Requested actions and timeline Speakers asked for a three‑part approach: 1) short‑term placement of trailers to provide intervention and small‑group space; 2) midterm relocation of 4K programs to nearby schools with capacity; and 3) a long‑term reassessment of elementary attendance boundaries to reflect new housing and enrollment trends.

District context and limits Speakers thanked district investments in staff — including a PBIS coach and social worker — and the transition to community school status, but said staffing gains cannot substitute for physical space. They asked the board to prioritize space solutions so that mandated services can be delivered consistently and safely.

Ending: Kennedy parents and staff framed their requests as urgent safety and legal‑compliance matters, not conveniences. The board did not take an immediate action at the meeting; speakers said they look forward to follow‑up from district staff on possible short‑term remedies.