Conceptual Long Range Elementary School Construction and Land Acqusition Plan

March 2, 2006

Background

The enrollment of the Madison Metropolitan School will be increasing and changing over the next several years due to the development of new housing in three areas of our District. There is substantial potential for growth on the far west side of the District. There are additional areas of growth in the Fitchburg area and the areas east of the interstate on the east side of the City of Madison. The growth indicated by our current projections will affect the elementary schools currently serving those areas of the District. Current projections do not indicate similar problems in the middle or high schools during this time period due to declining enrollments at those levels.

This new growth will create large areas of school age children that cannot be accommodated in our current elementary buildings either because of overcrowding or lack of access, current elementary buildings are not located close enough to where the children reside to provide reasonable access via transportation.

These growth projection result in the need to acquire land and construct new school facilities in these locations as new students arrive.

Proposed Plan

The following conceptual outline of planning milestones is based on the current information that we have available.

2006-2007

Construct an addition to Leopold School that provides space to accommodate the projected enrollment for the next four years (2009-10) opening in phases during the 2006-07 school year.
Purchase land in Fitchburg to build a second school facility.
Seek voter approval to construct a school on the Linden Park site to accommodate projected growth on the far west side of Madison.
Begin construction of a new school on the Linden Park site if referendum passes.

2007-2008

Seek voter approval to construct a school in Fitchburg to accommodate projected growth in the Fitchburg section the District.
Begin construction of a new school on the Fitchburg school site if referendum passes.
Purchase a second site for a new school on the far west side of Madison.

2008-2009

Construction continues on the Linden Park and Fitchburg schools.

2009-2010

Linden Park School opens in September
Fitchburg School opens in January

2010-2011

Seek voter approval to construct a new school on the Sprecher property on the East side of Madison. (NOTE: The need for the new school on the Sprecher site may occur a year earlier or a year later depending on enrollment growth.)

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