Committee recommends new second-grade section as elementary nears capacity

On April 6, 2026, the Joint Finance/Personnel Committee of the Board of Trustees for the Mineral Point Unified School District recommended that the full board support creating an additional second-grade section to relieve overcrowding at the elementary school.

The committee recorded uneven enrollment with large cohorts — second grade at roughly 62 students and fifth grade at about 66 — and noted the elementary site is at capacity, including “no dedicated music or guidance rooms” and use of hallways and shared spaces. Members said open enrollment (more than 100 students) and potential new housing could increase pressure on facilities.

The committee reviewed four main approaches: moving grades to the middle/high school (or moving 4th–5th), adding one to three portable classrooms, reducing the number of sections to increase class size (e.g., two sections of roughly 22 students), and internally reconfiguring existing spaces (converting guidance, sensory, or library space). The minutes show internal reconfiguration was the most supported short-term option because it is least disruptive and most cost-effective; moving grades raised concerns about age mixing, logistics and the timeline, and larger class sizes drew strong pushback from teachers and parents for harming early literacy and interventions.

The committee voted 6-0 to recommend the additional second-grade section and urged staff to obtain cost estimates comparing portables versus remodeling and to develop a clear long-term plan with community input before any permanent changes. The committee emphasized protecting K–3 class sizes and student supports as the guiding principle for any solution.