Fond du Lac board reviews enrollment decline, asks administration to model school consolidation scenarios

The Fond du Lac School District Board of Education used a workshop to review historical enrollment trends and preliminary consolidation planning as administrators warned of ongoing declines and fiscal strain.

Administration presented trend data showing a November projection for the 2526 school year of 6,419, a later projection of 6,151, and a reported third-Friday-in-February count of 6,039. Staff emphasized that February counts are typically lower than the September counts used to set revenue limits but said the district’s models predict continued year-over-year decline. As one presenter summarized, "I would absolutely expect year over year numbers to be low in February... but that does not warrant a financial windfall by any stretch of imagination," and the forecasts are being used to drive expense-reduction planning.

Trustees asked for clarifications about how the counts handle midyear graduates and part-time high-school course enrollments; staff said midyear graduates typically number "between 80 to 100" and that students taking one to two courses are factored into the high-school count. Board members also pressed for building capacity and 'ideal' class-size targets; administration said those figures would be included in modeling.

District staff demonstrated interactive maps that plot where students who attend each school actually live, showing significant open-enrollment movement across boundaries and underlining the geographic complexity of any consolidation. The administration proposed preparing scenario modeling that would quantify the impacts of closing one elementary and one middle school as examples, and trustees asked for additional scenarios (two to four sites) and sensitivity analysis to help guide decisions.

On programming, district staff described plans for a virtual learning platform: a phased approach beginning with grades 6–12 contingent on grant funding. As the staff member leading the effort said, "The goal is to have the virtual platform up in 02/2028," with an initial focus on sustaining current families who choose virtual options and later building outward to attract new enrollment.

Trustees underscored the sensitivity of potential closures and the need for thorough community outreach, noting that while survey feedback indicated support for consolidation in the abstract, closure proposals become personal for families whose local school would be affected. Administration said a proposed timeline includes February–May work to compile building reports, evaluate capacity and draft preliminary recommendations to present to the board, with further public engagement and options before any final vote.

What happens next: Trustees directed staff to produce modeled scenarios (including capacity and ideal class-size metrics), to return with the results and recommended site(s) for further public engagement and possible board direction at subsequent workshops.