Monroe administrators propose reconfiguring elementaries into pre-K–4 schools and a 5–6 intermediate campus

Administrators for Monroe Public Schools presented a districtwide elementary redesign that would convert most elementaries to pre-K–4 configurations, designate Arborwood South as a 5–6 intermediate campus and concentrate preschool programming at Riverside and Custer 2.

Dr. Behrends, who led the presentation, said the change responds to enrollment trends: "We are becoming the district of 300 kids per grade level," and staff project the district could hit that low point in about six years if current patterns continue. The proposal sprang from audits of classroom space and conversations with principals and staff, officials said, and is intended to create consistent programming across schools while making room for expanded early-learning options.

Terry, a district planner who helped compile the site analyses, said the plan aims to maximize building resources and staffing: "Those two buildings would be primarily dedicated to preschool," she said of Riverside and Custer 2, and staff emphasized the changes are subject to continued community input. Administrators distributed a document with building-level counts and said they would return Dec. 9 after holding school-based meetings.

Board members pushed for more detail on who would move, how boundaries might shift and whether the plan would require redistricting. Administrators said some boundary adjustments are likely but described them as "nominal" rather than wholesale, noting the plan would also free up rooms now used by ancillary services or teachers on carts.

The board did not vote on the proposal at the workshop; staff said a formal recommendation could be presented after public meetings and final vetting.