During the PLSAS school board June 9th study session, Superintendent Michael Thomas and other district administrators presented more details and answered questions regarding the proposed closure of WestWood Elementary and consolidation of district facilities.
In addition to the closure of WestWood as a neighborhood school in 2026-27, the district would sell the District Service Center building, with that staff relocating to the Grainwood building and Spanish immersion school La ola del lago moving from Grainwood to WestWood.
Thomas discussed the need to keep the District Service Center’s 56 staff members in one location. Splitting the staff among different locations within the district “would be very inefficient in terms of daily operations,” he said. “The level of collaboration that this team is doing is significant.”
Thomas also noted that parents often see a variety of departments for support.
“If we had parents going building to building to building to get their needs met, I think it’d just breed greater inefficiencies,” he said.
Dan Edwards, Executive Director of Academic Services, explained the available rooms in the middle schools and high school would not provide adequate space to house the DSC staff. Director of Community Education Joel Dahl pointed out that the rooms at Edgewood are occupied for at least part of each day with students and staff, also making it a poor fit for the DSC.
Dr. Thomas added that Grainwood not only has space to house the DSC staff, it would also make it possible for the building to be a “mixed hub.” The district’s adult special education program, Transitions, could also be located in the Grainwood location. Thomas also discussed the possibility of expanding community ed programs to Grainwood.
“I would envision Grainwood to be a community ed, special ed, and district services hub for PLSAS,” he said.
When discussing the rationale for moving the Spanish immersion school La Ola Del Lago to WestWood, Dr. Thomas shared that there is currently a waitlist for LODL. In fact, the district could double the size of the program, including an addition of Pre-K. The additional space at WestWood would accommodate the school’s expansion.
District staff, at the urging of board members during its May 19 meeting, explored the idea of selling more than the District Services Center building. However, Executive Director of Administrative Services Emily Herman shared a study which found the district would be above the approved classroom size cap with the closure of two elementary schools.
The sale of an additional building would introduce more hurdles, staffers said.
Director of Operational Services Dan Powers said commercial properties such as the DSC building generally sell between six to 12 months. School buildings can sell in a year, but could take up to five years with selling restrictions, such as not selling to competing schools.
Thomas also said any open enrolled students from WestWood would be able to stay in the district, but any new families looking to open enroll will need to wait to see what the capacity is in each school building once new school boundary lines are drawn.
The school board will vote on the proposed closure and consolidations on July 14. Those looking for the most up to date information on site consolidation can review the page on the district’s website, and check back with the Prior Lake News Compass. Questions and feedback can also be sent to input@plsas.org.
Budget, fee increases approved
Executive Director of Business Services Tammy Fredrickson presented the final revenue and expenditure budget for the 2025-26 school year. Frederickson pointed out that the budget has not changed since the last study session and is a balanced budget. The board passed the budget with a 5-2 vote.
Fredrickson said the proposed WestWood closure and site consolidation would produce an expected savings from staffing reductions ranging from $1.9-$2.7 million. The exact amount of transportation and utility savings are yet to be determined. The sale of the DSC would create a one-time revenue of $2.6-$3.5 million. A one-time cost for moving and remodeling would range from $475-$625,000.
The board also voted on the facility use fee and PLHS arts and activities fees for the 2025-26 school year. The updated fees included a 5% raise in facility fees and an average activity fee increase of $80 per student. The board unanimously passed both proposals.
