Boundary Changes Proposed in Stillwater Schools to Balance Enrollment
Stillwater Area Public Schools are considering significant boundary changes in anticipation of opening two new elementary schools next fall. The district aims to balance enrollment across its southern schools and accommodate future growth by altering attendance boundaries for a total of 214 students.
According to Carissa Keister, the district's chief of staff and director of communications, each elementary school will have a minimum enrollment of 400 students to ensure full-time specialists and three sections of each grade level. This, she explained, is more efficient and better programmed for the schools.
The new Lake Elmo Elementary School, set to open at 10928 10th St. N., has been designed with an intentionally large capacity of 150,000 square feet to accommodate expected growth over the next five to 10 years. Keister emphasized that the district is planning ahead and aims to ensure readiness for the future.
To share feedback and learn more about the proposed changes, families are invited to attend an open house at Oak-Land Middle School on Thursday evening or provide input online by December 2. The school board will hold a study session on December 2 and make its final decision by December 16.
The district is also relocating its current Lake Elmo Elementary School for sale, with the asking price set at $5 million. When the new Bayport Elementary School opens next year, the district plans to move into the current Andersen Elementary School building in downtown Bayport. The Central Services Building will be sold, allowing all central services staff to work together under one roof.
The Oak Park Learning Center will continue to serve as a hub for various programs, including the Alternative Learning Center and professional development sessions. In the future, it may also host some daytime community-education programming.
Stillwater Area Public Schools are considering significant boundary changes in anticipation of opening two new elementary schools next fall. The district aims to balance enrollment across its southern schools and accommodate future growth by altering attendance boundaries for a total of 214 students.
According to Carissa Keister, the district's chief of staff and director of communications, each elementary school will have a minimum enrollment of 400 students to ensure full-time specialists and three sections of each grade level. This, she explained, is more efficient and better programmed for the schools.
The new Lake Elmo Elementary School, set to open at 10928 10th St. N., has been designed with an intentionally large capacity of 150,000 square feet to accommodate expected growth over the next five to 10 years. Keister emphasized that the district is planning ahead and aims to ensure readiness for the future.
To share feedback and learn more about the proposed changes, families are invited to attend an open house at Oak-Land Middle School on Thursday evening or provide input online by December 2. The school board will hold a study session on December 2 and make its final decision by December 16.
The district is also relocating its current Lake Elmo Elementary School for sale, with the asking price set at $5 million. When the new Bayport Elementary School opens next year, the district plans to move into the current Andersen Elementary School building in downtown Bayport. The Central Services Building will be sold, allowing all central services staff to work together under one roof.
The Oak Park Learning Center will continue to serve as a hub for various programs, including the Alternative Learning Center and professional development sessions. In the future, it may also host some daytime community-education programming.
. I mean, 400 students per school just seems like a lot to me. Don't they worry about overloading the teachers? Also, why not just build more schools instead of changing boundaries? It's all good though, at least the Oak Park Learning Center is getting some love. I'm curious to see how this whole thing plays out 
But seriously, 214 students is a pretty big number to deal with, and having each school at min. enrollment of 400 students makes total sense - it's all about efficiency & planning for the future! 
The new Lake Elmo Elementary School's massive capacity is a huge win - those future growth projections are gonna be crucial in keeping up with demand 
. I'm all for the online input too, it's so much easier to share your thoughts than face-to-face 
. Can't wait to hear what everyone's got to say at that open house! 
. I mean, 400 students per school is crazy! What's next? Are they gonna start busing kids from Stillwater all the way up to Oak Park?! 
The thought of a whole new elementary school in Lake Elmo just seems like so much unnecessary growth 
. Have we even thought about the environmental impact on our precious local parks and green spaces?! 
Having a minimum of 400 students per school does seem like a good idea for specialists and class sizes, though. 
Also, I'm not sure why they're relocating the old Lake Elmo school for sale when they could've just renovated it or repurposed it in some way. 
I'm also intrigued by the plans to consolidate services staff into one building... could be a game-changer for efficiency! 
I mean, I get why they wanna plan ahead, but isn't that just gonna make those schools even more crowded? 
And what about the kids who already attend Stillwater schools and might not want to switch neighborhoods? 
My cousin's kid goes to Oak-Land Middle and she's super into the arts programs - is that gonna be affected by the boundary changes? 
I hope they're considering input from parents like me, 'cause this one way or another it's gonna impact our kids' lives. 