District staff outline 5–6 building plan to rebalance Monroe elementary enrollments

Superintendent Shaw told the board the district is exploring a configuration that moves 5th and 6th graders into a single 5–6 building to open classroom space at K–4 schools and reduce uneven enrollments across elementary sites. "We're here tonight to share with you the information we've gathered from our meetings with our community, and the buildings," Shaw said when introducing the review of meeting results.

Board members pressed staff for specifics about which schools would change and how the district would protect families currently enrolled under the intra‑district school‑of‑choice policy. Shaw said current students in their assigned buildings would remain in place and that any rebalancing would be phased over multiple years: "The balancing of your buildings is gonna take 3 or 4 years. It's not gonna happen in year 1." He added that some mechanisms (lotteries, capped seats) could be used going forward to protect spaces for incoming neighborhood students.

Several trustees raised concerns about the speed and scope of implementation. One board member said the proposed timeline felt "incredibly fast for such a huge decision" and asked the board to weigh implementation in 2025–26 versus 2026–27. Trustees also requested a written plan that shows the projection methodology, the steps for boundary/line changes if any, and the transition processes for displaced students and staff.

The board asked staff to return with: a clear written transition plan that includes orientation and team‑building activities, a precise list of which grades and classrooms would move at each school, transportation implications, and an estimated multi‑year timeline for rolling the plan out. Staff agreed to provide those details and to offer examples from nearby districts that run similar configurations.