4K-2 Grade Configuration

At their meeting on October 11, 2023, the Monona Grove School Board unanimously supported a vote to implement a 4K-2 grade configuration for both Cottage Grove School (currently grades 1-2) and Taylor Prairie School (currently grades 4K-K) beginning in the 2025-26 school year. At their meeting on September 11, 2024, the Monona Grove School Board unanimously approved the attendance boundary as outlined below.

Process: Attendance Boundaries Decision

On January 31, 2024, the Teaching, Learning, and Equity Committee recommended approval of the charge for an Ad Hoc School Boundaries Committee, which the School Board approved at their February 14, 2024, meeting. The Ad Hoc committee began meeting in April. The committee was made up of two School Board members, six staff members, and four community members. Dan Olson (former Superintendent) and Katy Byrnes Kaiser (Director of Communications and Community Engagement) serve on the committee ex-officio (non-voting). Click here for a full list of members.

The committee was responsible for responding to information and recommendations providing local perspective that honors the school district's goals of equity and diversity during the creation of the new school boundaries and feeder patterns required to implement the new grade configuration. The committee also provided structured feedback around the impact of boundaries on the local community, and provided feedback on and participated in community engagement events around the attendance boundary decision.

The committee met on April 29, May 6, May 20, and June 3. The committee submitted its recommendation and report to the Board on September 6, 2024, and presented its recommendation to the Board on September 11, 2024. The Board approved the recommended boundary at their meeting on September 11, 2024.

Thank you to our committee members, staff and community alike, who volunteered their time, shared their perspectives, engaged in hard conversations, and made a thoughtful recommendation to the School Board!

view the committee presentation slides (PDF)

View the committee report

2025-26 boundary map
taylor prairie and Cottage grove schools

This mapping tool allows residents to plug in their address in order to view what boundary area you’re in for the 2025-26 school year. Once an updated traffic study is complete, transportation zones will also be available to view on this tool. We will update families when the (2025-26) transportation zone tool becomes available.

2025-26 school boundaries address look-up
*Families of students who are currently open enrolled will receive information on placement soon.

Working Timeline

Scroll down on the page to see details on the decision-making timeline.

2024
2025

2024

January
Begin to gather and consult on resources the Ad Hoc Attendance Boundary Committee may need or want

January 31
Draft charge of Ad Hoc Attendance Boundary Committee meeting to Teaching, Learning and Equity Board Committee

February
Decision-making process for staffing finalized and shared with staff

February 14
Proposed Ad Hoc Attendance Boundary Committee charge to School Board (the charge includes how committee members are selected and the categories of members such as community members, staff, etc.)

April
Attendance Boundary Committee begins meeting

July
Review classroom setup and technology needs and place any necessary orders

Review playground and buildings/grounds needs and plan/prepare for work in summer 2025

September
Attendance Boundaries sent to School Board for approval

September/October
Staff survey

October
Attendance Boundaries announcement (expected, depending on Board action)

October/November
Individual meetings with principals to review survey, gather additional input

November
Staffing preferences received, placements and assignments begin

2025

Current vs. New Grade Configuration

current schools and grade configurations

Background and Process: Reconfiguration Decision

When Granite Ridge School (serving Cottage Grove students in grades 3-5) opened in 2021, Taylor Prairie School became a 4K-K building and Cottage Grove School became a grades 1-2 building. The decision on how to configure these grade levels was made in 2018 by the Monona Grove School Board. Now that the schools have operated in this configuration for two years, the School Board requested a review looking at successes and challenges within this model.

The School Board’s Teaching, Learning and Equity (TLE) committee has heard from all the elementary principals and from district administrators on this model and a discussion with the full School Board was held at the June 14 Board meeting. Based on a recommendation from the members of the TLE committee, the School Board indicated that they would like to further examine reconfiguring both Taylor Prairie and Cottage Grove Schools into neighborhood schools where each school would serve students in grades 4K-2. The TLE committee engaged in a further review based on three key considerations: the student experience, the financial impact, and communication and engagement with families, staff, and the community. Once the review was complete, the committee presented their report and a recommendation to the School Board at their meeting on Wednesday, September 13. At their October 11, 2023, meeting, the Board voted unanimously in support of the recommendation to implement a 4K-2 grade configuration for both Cottage Grove School and Taylor Prairie School, beginning in the 2025-26 school year.

Reconfiguration Decision-Making Timeline

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Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some frequently asked questions. Questions and answers will continue to be added as the planning and implementation process continue. Don't see your question listed? Email us at configuration@mgschools.net.

What is the purpose of this change?

The student experience is at the core of the decision to review grade configurations at Taylor Prairie and Cottage Grove Schools. We know our teachers provide high-quality learning experiences for students, but disruption is inherent in the transitional school model. We have identified several ways a neighborhood school model would improve the student experience:

Neighborhood schools would provide for fewer educational transitions, which are disruptive and difficult for all students and particularly for students with special needs;
Neighborhood schools will improve the ability of our staff to provide interventions for students needing support services on either end of the spectrum, given its familiarity with students over a longer period of time;
Neighborhood schools foster stronger relationships between parents and the school since students will remain in a school for a longer period of time;
Neighborhood schools create an environment where Specialists and others relationships over four years are strengthened; those staff are able to contribute to co-planning by knowing students and their needs more deeply
Neighborhood schools also lead to increased knowledge across larger grade spans for our teachers.
Relationships are important for all students, and are critical for some. Specialists and student services staff would be consistent for four years, classroom teachers would be familiar faces in the building and available for relationship-building and connection.
Comfort with the school environment leads to familiarity and consistency.

Where will my child attend school?

Will this cost the district money?

How will projected growth impact this plan?

How could this impact transportation?

What will be determined during the planning and implementation phase?

On October 11, the School Board will take action on whether or not to change to a 4K-2 grade configuration for both Cottage Grove School and Taylor Prairie School at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year. The detail in how to make that change--boundaries, staffing, policies and more--will be addressed in the planning and implementation phase which will begin immediately following the vote.

Families, staff, and community members will have an opportunity to provide input and feedback throughout the planning and implementation phase.

Has MGSD reconfigured schools before?

Monona Grove has a long history of reconfiguring its buildings as populations change and grow. Cottage Grove School once served students from Kindergarten through 5th grade, and most recently served students in grades 2-4. This has been the case in Monona as well with Nichols most recently serving students in grades 3-5 (now the site of our District Office and MG21 for grades 6-12), Maywood formerly serving grades K-2 (now the site of our transition program among other uses), and Winnequah School formerly serving as a middle school for students in grades 6-8.