Wayzata officials outline school building needs as enrollment projections show shortage by 2027–28

Wayzata Public School District officials and their architectural and construction partners told the school board during a work session on Aug. 25 that current enrollment projections will put the district over building capacity by the 2027–28 school year, and they outlined possible projects, a community engagement timeline and next steps toward a potential referendum.

Consultants from Kraus Anderson and Wold Architects presented capacity studies and options. John Hunick of Kraus Anderson summarized the projection: “by ’27 and ’28, you’re exceeding capacity,” and noted the district used an average of multiple professional enrollment studies to create its planning baseline.

The capacity shortfall matters because it affects class sizes, specialized instructional spaces and building circulation (cafeterias, gyms and other shared spaces). Presenters said the district will need a suite of projects that could include a new elementary school (referred to as elementary No. 10), a fourth middle school or additions to existing middle schools, additions or other expansion at the high school to accommodate roughly an additional 900 students over 10 years, renovations to specialized‑instruction spaces (SDC), kitchen and cafeteria upgrades at Birchview, Greenwood and Sunset elementaries, and site improvements at Plymouth Creek.

District staff described where urgency is highest. Trevor Peterson, executive director of finance and…