4K-2 Grade Configuration

On October 28, 2025, the Board held a work session (materials on BoardDocs) to focus on a set of important recommendations regarding the 4K–2 grade configuration at Cottage Grove and Taylor Prairie schools, as well as broader district facilities planning. The goal was to provide context, review updated information, and gather Board input prior to discussion at the November 11 meeting and potential action on December 9. At the meeting, the Board reviewed:

Each building’s capacity, current enrollment, and five-year enrollment projections
Capital planning for the buildings, annual operational costs per site

At their November 11, 2025, meeting, the School Board discussed:

authorizing the relocation of Taylor Prairie students/staff to Cottage Grove School under a 4K–2 grade consolidation beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, including a traffic reduction solution to support this transition.
authorizing administration to engage a licensed real estate broker to gather information on the fair market value and potential sale of the Maywood and to bring findings and recommendations to the Board for review per policy 7300
authorizing administration to engage a licensed real estate broker to gather information on the fair market value and potential sale of District Office properties, and to bring findings and recommendations to the Board for review per policy 7300.
authorizing the financial and operational planning necessary to evaluate relocating District Office staff and the MG21 charter school to the Taylor Prairie facility and to bring findings and recommendations to the Board for review.

See the section below for more details, or click here to view the Board meeting materials in BoardDocs. Please note that, unlike regular meetings, Board work sessions are not live streamed or recorded and are not noticed for public comment.

Additional Information

Additional Information

In December 2024, the Board directed administration to update the capacity study for 2025 standards and revise five-year enrollment projections using current data rather than the outdated 2017 projections that had proven to be an overestimation of growth in the MGSD.

Despite significant housing growth in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, from 2017 to 2025, student enrollment in the Monona Grove School District has remained relatively stable or even declined, with likely contributing factors including lower student yield per housing unit, an aging population plus declining birth rates, a statewide decline in public school enrollment, global factors like the pandemic and economic recessions, etc.

The enrollment projections and building capacity confirm that Cottage Grove and Taylor Prairie schools are operating below capacity, resulting in duplicated positions and services that reduce overall efficiency. Updated building capacity data and five-year enrollment projections confirm that all Taylor Prairie and Cottage Grove students can be accommodated within the Cottage Grove School building for the next five years at minimum.

Building	26-27 Projected Students in Building	Max Capacity	Percent Occupancy
Cottage Grove School	280	540	51.85%
Glacial Drumlin School	812	1037	78.30%
Granite Ridge School	484	624	77.56%
Taylor Prairie School	182*	346	52.60%
Monona Grove High School	1153	1514	76.16%
MG21	84	104	80.77%
Winnequah School	568*	603	94.20%

Taylor Prairie & Cottage Grove School

462*

540

85.56%

*Students in building (4K AM & PM vs all of 4K enrollment)

In addition, the district faces multiple facilities and capacity challenges requiring strategic planning. Over the next ten years, we anticipate approximately $30 million in capital projects across our sites.

In addition to long range planning, it is important to consider the annual operating cost of a building and how that impacts our efficiency.

Category/Building	10-year Capital Costs
Cottage Grove School	$3,737,740.00
Glacial Drumlin School	$6,625,700.00
Granite Ridge School	$1,243,070.00
Monona Grove High School	$4,889,750.00
MG21/District Office	$2,464,180.00
Taylor Prairie School	$3,905,880.00
Winnequah School	$2,205,870.00
Maywood School	(Est.) $7,500,000.00
Athletics/Activities	$3,660,000.00

Total

$36,232,190.00

If the Board were to consolidate Taylor Prairie and Cottage Grove School, there is an opportunity to explore the disposition of two district sites per policy 7300.

Maywood School: Underutilized, partially leased to the City, and requiring significant capital investment that exceeds its remaining useful life.
District Office/MG21: Requires roughly $2.5 million in capital improvements but occupies a prime location that could provide strategic operational and financial benefits.
Taylor Prairie is a building with the most potential to handle and future growth that the district hopes to gain in the next 5-10 years. This site could comfortably accommodate the ~24 district office employees and the MG21 Charter School, while maintaining the property to be able to come back on line for elementary students when needed.

At their November 11, 2025, meeting, the School Board will discuss:

authorizing the relocation of Taylor Prairie students/staff to Cottage Grove School under a 4K–2 grade consolidation beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, including a traffic reduction solution to support this transition.
authorizing administration to engage a licensed real estate broker to gather information on the fair market value and potential sale of the Maywood and to bring findings and recommendations to the Board for review per policy 7300
authorizing administration to engage a licensed real estate broker to gather information on the fair market value and potential sale of District Office properties, and to bring findings and recommendations to the Board for review per policy 7300.
authorizing the financial and operational planning necessary to evaluate relocating District Office staff and the MG21 charter school to the Taylor Prairie facility and to bring findings and recommendations to the Board for review.

These recommendations aim to optimize facility utilization, align resources with projected enrollment trends, and ensure sustainability while maintaining flexibility for future growth. This would retain the Taylor Prairie site for the long term to protect the district in the anticipation of expanded enrollment in the future. Large scale plat maps of District-owned property are available to view at the District Office.

As they become available, updates and additional information will be shared on the website, through regular school communications, and more.

Timeline
October 11, 2023: Monona Grove School District Board of Education approved the Teaching, Learning, and Equity Committee and Administration’s recommendation to create neighborhood schools, where both Taylor Prairie School and Cottage Grove School would serve grades 4K–2, beginning in the 2025–2026 school year.

April 29, 2024: 4K-2 Boundary Committee begins work

September 11, 2024: Monona Grove Boundaries approved by School Board

December 11, 2024: The Board unanimously voted to pause the implementation due to emerging factors, including budget constraints and updated enrollment projections. At that time the Board directed administration to review enrollment projections and capacity and recommend a plan.

School Board materials and livestreams:
October 28, 2025 Board Workshop materials (workshops are not livestreamed)
December 11, 2024 meeting materials and December 11, 2024 livestream
September 11, 2024 meeting materials and September 11, 2024 livestream
October 11, 2023 materials and October 11, 2023 livestream

Boundary Committee:
August 26, 2024 meeting materials
June 3, 2024 meeting materials
May 20, 2024 meeting materials
May 6, 2024 meeting materials
April 29, 2024 meeting materials

At their meeting on December 11, 2024, the Monona Grove School Board unanimously voted to pause the implementation of the 4K-2 grade configuration due to new factors that have emerged, such as budget constraints and updated enrollment projections.

For now, the information below remains for community reference, but is on pause for the 25-26 school year. This page will continue to be updated as more information is available.

Key factors influencing this decision include:

Building Capacity: Recent data indicates that building capacity may be too low to accommodate the proposed reconfiguration (ideal building capacities for schools are around 90%; reconfiguration could put schools as low as 50%).
Enrollment Projections: Updated projections will be carefully analyzed to ensure accurate planning.
Timing: Families will begin to register for 4K and Kindergarten in January, Open Enrollment seats must be determined by the School Board in January, and staffing decisions need to be made by early spring. Pausing allows for a more thorough and thoughtful analysis of enrollment projections and building capacity, ensuring that resources are used efficiently.

What this means for 2025-26

Taylor Prairie School will continue to serve Cottage Grove students in 4K-K
Cottage Grove School will continue to serve Cottage Grove students in grades 1-2

We know fewer school transitions remain the right decision; pausing allows us to establish the right configuration of grades/schools as our community needs continue to evolve. We also understand that this decision impacts families and staff and the larger community we serve; we are committed to providing clear and timely communication throughout this process.

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
*We anticipate that families of students who are currently open enrolled will receive information on placement by the end of the calendar year. Current open enrolled siblings will be placed at the same school site. When new open enrollment applications are accepted, we will make every effort to keep siblings together but cannot guarantee it.

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

Background & 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?

Resident families can use the mapping tool above to determine their child's school. We anticipate that families of students who are currently open enrolled will receive information on placement by the end of the calendar year. Current open enrolled siblings will be placed at the same school site. When new open enrollment applications are accepted, we will make every effort to keep siblings together but cannot guarantee it.

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.