MINSTER — Minster schools is in the early stages of searching for land for a future expansion to accommodate enrollment growth.
Superintendent Josh Meyer said Minster schools is interested in acquiring land next to the school owned by the village of Minster Parks Department, though no offer has been made yet.
The school board met in work session last week to discuss ideas but did not act.
Talks are preliminary as the school district waits to find out what land, if any, the village is willing to swap with Minster schools.
A levy campaign to fund the project is not expected for at least several years, Meyer said.
The board initiated expansion talks late last year to accommodate aging buildings and enrollment growth, as incoming kindergarten classes have outpaced graduating classes for several years.
Enrollment projections provided to the school board in February show the district anticipates a peak kindergarten class of 85 students next fall, compared to 58 students who enrolled in kindergarten at Minster in 2018.
Meanwhile, only 62 students will be part of Minster’s graduating class next school year.
School buildings are aging too: Minster schools built the high school in 1965, with additions built in 1989 and 2001 for classrooms and vocational areas, while the elementary building is now 20 years old.
The most recent renovation at the high school was completed during the 2018-19 school year.
“We know these buildings won’t last forever,” Meyer said. “We’re trying to plan for what do we do when they’re at the end of their lifespan.” He added, “That’s years into the future, but if we can do this now then we’re not in the situation where we have to do it and it’s an emergency.”
