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Kenyon-Wanamingo board votes 7'to'0 to close Wanamingo Elementary effective June 30, 2025
Summary
After a yearlong review, the Kenyon-Wanamingo School Board adopted a resolution ordering the closure of Wanamingo Elementary, citing declining enrollment and projected savings of about $700,000 annually; the vote was 7'to'0 following community testimony and debate over repurposing options.
The Kenyon-Wanamingo School Board voted unanimously on Jan. 27 to adopt a resolution closing Wanamingo Elementary School effective June 30, 2025, citing persistent enrollment declines and district budget shortfalls. The board'approved the resolution on a roll-call vote of 7'to'0 after public comment and a series of deliberations over alternatives.
Superintendent Beth Geese and district staff presented three options during the public hearing: full closure and consolidation of elementary operations at the Kenyon campus (Option 1), repurposing Wanamingo for early childhood and community use (Option 2), or leaving the building open (Option 3). Geese told the board that consolidation would produce "substantial cost savings" and that the district estimates roughly $700,000 in annual savings from a full closure. "The school district presently is declining enrollment and demographic studies project that enrollment is anticipated to continue to decline in the upcoming years," she said in her presentation.
Board members repeatedly cited declining enrollment and unpredictable cohort drops in arguing the district lacks a sustainable financial path while keeping both buildings. A motion to repurpose the building (option 2) was made by James Jarvis but failed for lack of a second. Board member AJ Lindell then moved to adopt Option 1; the motion was seconded and the board adopted the resolution.
Members of the public urged the board to keep the building open or find community-centered uses; some called the decision a painful loss for Wanamingo. The chair acknowledged the emotional weight of the vote and said the board had conducted an extensive review with outside consultants and public input. The resolution directs the superintendent to make arrangements to "close and secure the Wanamingo Elementary School and to transfer present programs, activities, worksites, records, salvageable equipment, and materials to other locations as practicable." The resolution references the district as Independent School District No. 2172 and recites state statutory procedure for a closure.
The board scheduled immediate next steps including a five-minute recess after the vote, and administration said it will begin work on logistics, facility maintenance plans for the building between now and any sale or repurposing, and communications with families and staff about program transfers.
