Redesign 2020

Redesign 2020
Posted on 02/28/2020
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Update July 2020

While the Board and administration appreciate all the feedback received to date from staff and families, Redesign 2020 will be suspended due to the pandemic limiting the ability to gather input and the administration’s limited capacity to explore all options identified by the Board. This will afford Superintendent Murley and the administration an opportunity to complete the work for the reopening of schools in the fall. 

The administration will continue to work with the Board of Education, staff and families of John Dewey Academy of Learning and NEW Innovation to determine permanent solutions since the current lease for the Cherry Street building will terminate at the end of the 2020-21 school year. 


On February 26 and 27, 2020 the Board of Education held a retreat to discuss Redesign 2020, an effort that continues the work begun in 2016 to address inequities in enrollment and facilities across the District. The Board of Education reviewed school capacities, enrollments and projections, as well as the results of the Facilities Survey conducted in the Spring of 2019. 

As part of the discussion, the Board of Education discussed the various reasons behind the need to address enrollment and facilities concerns. One significant reason identified was the changing educational landscape, which includes declining enrollment, parent choice (intra-district transfers, vouchers and open enrollment), and a highly mobile student population. The Board’s goal is to set the District up for both short- and long-term success by maximizing resources and creating greater efficiencies to achieve its mission and vision. In the end, the Board of Education will consider solutions that result in greater efficiencies to deliver high quality programming for ALL students, and then take into account stakeholder voice. 

Through a facilitated discussion, the Board of Education brainstormed potential solutions and developed a list of ideas for District administration to further research and update the Board in April. At a future retreat, the Board will determine which solutions they would like the community to consider, and will seek feedback from students, staff, families and community members.

At the Board’s request, District administration will be conducting further research to determine the viability of the following ideas:

Explore options for the Northeast Wisconsin School of Innovation (NEW Innovation) for the 2021-22 school year. NEW Innovation is currently located at 701 Cherry Street, a leased building that is shared with John Dewey Academy of Learning (JDAL), including:

-Repurpose Keller Elementary School for NEW Innovation.
-Relocate NEW Innovation to the District Office Building (DOB), and relocate DOB offices to available space in District schools. 
-Repurpose Lincoln Elementary School for NEW Innovation.

Explore options for JDAL for the 2021-22 school year, including:

-Repurpose Keller Elementary School for JDAL.
-Purchase the 701 Cherry Street building that is currently leased.

Explore options for Keller Elementary School, due to the relocation of the Head Start program, including:

-Move JDAL into the second floor of Keller.
-Develop Keller as a 4K-5 Community School with potential wrap-around services.
-Repurpose all or a portion of Keller as offices for DOB staff, professional learning space, or space for occupational and physical therapists from Lincoln Elementary.
-Develop a “school within a school” at Keller, possibly a Montessori School. 
-Reboundary Keller Elementary to Kennedy School or to other nearby westside elementary schools, which would likely require building upgrades.
-Reboundary Keller to Kennedy, with Kennedy becoming a K-8 school, which would likely require building upgrades.

Explore Franklin Middle School as a possible K-8 school.  

Questions and comments regarding Redesign 2020 can be submitted using the community input form. In addition, staff, students, parents and members of the community are encouraged to contact Board of Education members with any feedback they may wish to share. 

For more information about the District’s previous work addressing inequities in enrollment and facilities, please visit the Redesign 2020 webpage.

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