Madison Schools Input Session

media release: The Madison Metropolitan School District is providing an update on its ongoing “Building for the Future” plan, a multi-year effort to review school attendance areas, plan for future enrollment and align facilities with the city’s projected growth.

The work is designed to take a proactive systemwide approach and includes a comprehensive attendance area and boundary review, an enrollment strategy and an updated long-range facilities plan. Recommendations are expected to be presented to the Board of Education in early 2027 following an extended period of community input.

“We are planning ahead for the growth we know is coming to Madison and Dane County,” said Cindy Green, assistant superintendent of strategy and innovation. “This is an opportunity for us to take a comprehensive look at our system and better understand what our community wants to see in its schools. That insight will help guide thoughtful, long-term decisions and create opportunities for innovative programs that meet the needs and interests of our students and families.”

The review is informed in part by projected population growth and new housing development in the Madison area, as well as current enrollment patterns and building capacity. The district is also aligning this work with planned school construction and renovation projects approved by voters in 2024.

At this stage, the district emphasizes that no decisions about boundary changes have been made.

“We are still in the input phase,” Green said. “It is important that we hear from our community before any potential scenarios are developed or considered.”

Initial feedback gathered through a fall survey highlighted several priorities for families, including a preference for neighborhood schools, minimizing student transportation time and maintaining strong school communities. The district notes that additional engagement will be critical, as survey participation represented a small portion of MMSD families.

As part of the next phase of the process, MMSD will host 11 community engagement sessions during the first two weeks of May. These sessions will provide families, students, staff and community members with opportunities to learn about the process, ask questions and share perspectives.

Scheduled sessions include:

Monday, May 4, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Robert M. La Follette High School, 702 Pflaum Road

Tuesday, May 5, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at East High School, 2222 E. Washington Ave.

Wednesday, May 6, noon to 1:30 p.m. (virtual) and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at West High School, 30 Ash St.

Thursday, May 7, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Vel Phillips Memorial High School, 201 S. Gammon Road

Friday, May 8, noon to 1:30 p.m. (virtual)

Monday, May 11, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at John F. Kennedy Elementary School, 221 Meadowlark Drive

Tuesday, May 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Boys & Girls Club – Allied Family Center, 4619 Jenewein Road, Fitchburg

Wednesday, May 13, noon to 1:30 p.m. (virtual) and 6 to 8 p.m. at Paul J. Olson Elementary School, 801 Redan Drive, Fitchburg

Thursday, May 14, 5 to 7 p.m. at Bayview Community Center, 103 La Mariposa Lane

Virtual session links will be shared on the district’s website in advance of each event.

The district’s guiding principles for the review include considerations such as transportation efficiency, walkability, school capacity and maintaining balanced student demographics, all of which will be evaluated together as potential options are developed.

The goal is to make decisions that will serve students well into the future while minimizing disruption whenever possible.

Learn more about this initiative and upcoming engagement opportunities on the MMSD website, and submit any related questions to the “Building for the Future” Boundary Review topic of the district’s Let’s Talk platform.