SoWashCo Officials To Detail $462M Schools, Bond Plan Tuesday

COTTAGE GROVE, MN — Officials from the South Washington County Schools system are set to lay out the district’s $462 million plans to overhaul its facilities at a meeting Tuesday night in Cottage Grove.

An informational session is scheduled to run from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Oltman Middle School, 6625 Goodview Ave. S in Cottage Grove. Officials are expected to hold a virtual session from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday on Zoom.

SoWashCo officials recently proposed a 10-year, $462 million plan to reduce overcrowding at the district’s schools and prepare to accommodate growing enrollment figures.

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The SoWashCo Schools board is expected to vote on the proposal at its April 21 meeting, which would allow the district to put a referendum on the ballot for a special election on Aug. 9, the same day as Minnesota’s primary elections.

The district is projecting enrollment will increase from about 18,500 students in 2021 to more than 22,600 students in 2031. That would push at least 15 of the district’s two dozen schools over capacity if nothing is done before then, officials said.

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Two of the district’s high schools — East Ridge and Woodbury — are already operating over capacity, while Grey Cloud and Pine Hill elementary schools, as well as Oltman Middle School, are expected to be over capacity within two years, officials said.

The $462 million proposal being considered by South Washington County Schools officials calls for renovations and improvements at almost all of the district’s schools. Officials are also recommending Newport Elementary be closed and turned into a new early childhood learning center.

Under the proposal, Crestview Elementary would be rebuilt in a more central location within the district, with the old school building to be transformed into the South Washington Alternative High School.

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Officials are also calling for Pine Hill Elementary to be rebuilt to serve more students. Some school-attendance boundaries are also set to change as part of the plan, though officials have said they will try to limit those shifts.

None of the recommendations would be completed before the start of the 2025-26 school year to allow for a “smooth transition” for students and families, officials said.

Homeowners whose property is valued at $300,000 — the average value of a home in the district — would see their taxes increase by about $23 per month, or $280 a year, if the $462 million referendum is approved by the board and voters.

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Officials have warned schools could be forced to implement “moderate to extensive” attendance boundary shifts and use portable trailers if voters do not approve the $462 million referendum.

Click here to see how the $462 million proposal would impact each school in the South Washington County Schools system.

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