FROM PAGE 1

ities plan.

With Cottage Grove Elementary due to see construction of a new classroom addition and special education enhancements for an estimated $8,406,845, it’s on to Crestview, which would see construction of a new 1,000 seat school in a central location for an estimated $78,074,669.

Over at Grey Cloud Elementary, students and parents would see several changes, including construction of a new classroom addition, new special education classrooms, a new and larger cafeteria with kitchens and renovation of early learning spaces. The estimated cost for improvements at Grey Cloud in materials submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education would be $9,707,111, while at Hillside, the plan calls for new bathrooms and renovation, the latter of early learning and special education spaces as well as the kitchen, and creation of a shared learning space. The price tag for work at Hillside is an estimated $3,771,233.

To the northeast at Liberty Ridge, meanwhile, new classrooms are in order, while any Middleton Elementary students are due to see renovation of early learning and special education spaces. The cost of Liberty Ridge and Middleton together is estimated at $11,163,411, with $10,448,105 going to Liberty Ridge and $715,306 to improvements at Middleton. Next in the alphabet list, is Newport.

Due to close no earlier than 2025 for renovation costing an estimated $1,683,990 for a heavy remodel to turn the space into an early childhood learning center. Newport students would then be bussed in turn to Cottage Grove, Bailey, and Woodbury Elementary schools, the closure no earlier than 2025 under the long-range facilities plan.

Moving down the alphabet to Nuevas Fronteras— meaning “new frontiers” in English, students are due to see “general maintenance projects” under the long-range facilities plan, with maintenance costs not factoring into the $462 million bond referendum. Aging Pine Hill Elementary, meanwhile, will be replaced for a total estimated cost of $59,339,208, while Pullman Elementary will see new classrooms and renovation to the tune of $4,627,464, per estimates submitted by the district to the Minnesota Department of Education.

As for Red Rock, it’s renovation, with kindergarten and early learning spaces in view and estimated to total $458,108 out of the $462 million bond.

For Royal Oaks Elementary in Woodbury, students will see the construction of additional new bathroom and renovation of existing space to better address special education needs and create a shared learning space, along with a renovated kitchen. The improvements at Royal Oaks are estimated to cost $4,607,194 of the $462 million total bond.

Nearing the end of the elementary list for the present, Valley Crossing Elementary is due to see “general maintenance projects” under the long-range facilities plan, said projects will not factor into the $462 million total, being for long-range maintenance only.

Last but not least for elementary schools in ISD 833 is Woodbury, with renovation to create shared learning space and a revamped kitchen along with early learning and special education spaces. Construction of a new separate bus road to improve traffic flow during pick-up and drop-off is also included in the plans at Woodbury, the estimated dollar cost of investment at Woodbury Elementary to be an estimated $3,990,090 All told, elementary schools will take up $194,914,223 of the $462 million bond up for voting now and into August 9.

Next week it’s on to middle and high school updates, but in the meantime, a gentle reminder: absentee voting is open, and the opportunity for more information or to do so is as near as a phone call to your local municipal clerk.

Work then, need not be a reason to miss out on ballot day.

Above, a redrawn elementary attendance map if the August 9 referendum is approved. Image from district submission to Minnesota Department of Education.

Thanks to open enrollment, students from outside South Washington County can opt into the district. In similar manner, those living inside the district but wishing to attend elsewhere, can opt out. Shown above are current elementary boundaries and student density. Image from district submission to Minnesota Department of Education.

Projected student counts are a driver of the long range plan along with housing developments. Above, the births to student count as submitted by South Washington County Schools to the Minnesota Department of Education. “Market share” in the bar chart refers to those children born in the district who are expected to attend ISD 833 schools as kindergartners.

Image from district submission to Minnesota Department of Education.