SDMA School Board Meeting - April 14th

A regular meeting of the SDMA School Board will be held on Monday, April 14th at 5:45pm. This meeting will be held at Downsville Elementary School. The agenda can be found below.

The live stream can be found here. Eye on Dunn County also provides a live stream on Facebook and its website.

Some of the supplemental documents can be found below. The remaining supplemental documents can be found here. (Click on the meeting at the top middle of the page, then click view the agenda. Any agenda item with a paper icon indicates additional documents/information.)

The Highlight on Youth can be found here.

Additional information:

4C

Downsville Elementary School Recommendations

The authority for deciding the future of Downsville Elementary School rests with the SDMA Board of Education. A majority vote of the school board will determine whether Downsville Elementary stays open for the 2025-26 school year. After the Board takes action on April 14, administration and staff in the district will work diligently to implement whatever decision is made by the Board.

Over the past few months, administration in the SDMA has shared information and listened to questions, concerns, and suggestions from families, staff, and members of the school board. Based on these many communications and important input provided by the school board along the way, SDMA administration is making the following recommendations:

1.  Close Downsville Elementary for the 2025-26 school year

   1. Approve new elementary attendance boundaries for the 2025-26 school year

   2. Assign current Downsville students to a new elementary school

   3. Provide an expedited process for Downsville families to make in-district transfer requests

   4. Assist students and families with the transition to a new school by providing school visits and connections with parent-teacher organizations 

   5. Approve staff transfer requests and assign any remaining staff to positions based on staff member credentials, preferences, and district needs. 

2. Create a committee of parents, staff, and community members to study possibilities and to develop a recommendation to the Board for the future of the Downsville school. The goal of this committee would be to provide the Board with a recommendation by January 1, 2026 while considering the following:

   1. School district demographics- predictions about potential growth of the community and future enrollment in the school district

   2. Programming- anticipated programming needs and the possibility of new opportunities aligned with the district’s new strategic plan

   3. Staffing- recommendations for recruiting and retaining staff in Downsville

   4. Finances- financial implications for the school district, including the impact of the next state biennial budget and the possibility grants for the creation of a public charter school

      
      

Justification for the administrative recommendations:

1. Declining Student Enrollment

   1. Downsville school enrollment has declined nearly 26% over the past 10 years. The kindergarten class for the 2025-26 school year is expected to be less than five students. Birth rates in the Towns of Dunn and Weston have declined dramatically over the past 20 years, and an in-depth statistical analysis of birth rates does not predict the situation in Downsville to improve over the next five years. With birth rates in Dunn County decreasing, closing Downsville Elementary School could help the school district “right size” for student enrollment projections for the immediate future. There has been some discussion about economic developments anticipated in the Menomonie area and continued expansion in the local housing market, but city officials are not predicting a large increase in the local population. According to the city administrator, it is more likely that these developments might stabilize the local population that is currently in decline, so a significant impact on school enrollments should not be expected anytime soon.  

      
      

2. Staffing Challenges

   1. Staffing at Downsville Elementary has been a challenge for several years. With a national shortage of highly qualified teachers it has been difficult to recruit and retain staff at Downsville Elementary School. None of the current full time classroom teachers at Downsville Elementary School will be returning next year, and after posting vacant positions and conducting interviews, it is clear that staffing will be a significant hurdle if the school stays open. It may be possible to find enough teachers to have school in Downsville next year, but district expectations for the quality of classroom teachers would need to change. Each of the candidates selected for possible employment at Downsville next year indicated a preference for a larger and more stable school. Even if staffing can be filled for next year, it is very unlikely that the district would be able to retain new teachers at Downsville Elementary School. With other vacancies and needs across the district, no current staff members at Downsville Elementary would need to be laid off if the school closes at the end of this school year.   

      
      

3. Possibilities for New Programming in Downsville

   1. Throughout these recent discussions, there appears to be a sincere desire by families and community members to maintain a school in the Downsville community. Several new and creative ideas have been mentioned for how the school district could better utilize the Downsville school. There may be a better alternative for the use of the Downsville school, but it will take time to collaborate with people in the school district and community to determine the best solution. The school district’s new strategic plan will be completed this summer and may provide direction for what is most needed in the school district. Time will also be needed to determine the program model, budget, enrollment, staffing, transportation, equipment, and supplies for the possibility of providing a high quality educational experience at Downsville. Some people have advocated for trying to keep Downsville Elementary open for one more year while this work is completed. When considering concerns related to the district’s ability to staff with highly qualified teachers and considering what is best for current Downsville students, it is not recommended that Downsville Elementary stay open for the 2025-26 school year in a temporary and uncertain environment.

4. District Finances

   1. The school district budget will depend greatly on what happens with the next state biennial budget, but all planning models predict future deficits in the SDMA. The cuts made to the 2024-25 budget that eliminated budget contingencies and funding for capital expenses are not sustainable for the district to continue maintaining important services, facilities, equipment, and technology. Since the school district has a healthy fund balance, the recommendation to close Downsville Elementary School is not being made for financial reasons, but it is estimated that closing Downsville Elementary School would improve the district’s financial position by reducing staffing expenses by approximately $675,000 for the 2025-26 school year.

4D

If the Board votes to close Downsville Elementary School, new elementary attendance boundaries will be needed for the 2025-26 school year.

The attached boundaries would reassign properties to the Knapp, River Heights, and Oaklawn Elementary attendance areas based on recommendations from Menomonie Transportation.

5C