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Architect: Elementary schools' capacity a concern
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MONROE - One educational design architect charged with completing a facilities study for the Monroe school board has concerns about the capacity of the elementary schools in the district.

Steven Kieckhafer, an architect who deals with educational spacing needs for Plunkett Raysich Architects and CG Schmidt General Consulting Firm of Milwaukee, updated the board on the early stages of the district's facilities study Monday.

"I'm a little concerned your elementary schools as far as the number of students in them as far as capacity," Kieckhafer said. "We are in the very beginning stages of learning about your district. We don't have any conclusions yet. We will come back with some concepts and options."

Monroe District Administrator Rick Waski said the facilities study will target maintenance issues at schools across the district. The timeline for any reconfiguring of spaces at schools or remodeling is based on a potential referendum on the ballot in November 2018 or the spring of 2019.

Plunkett Raysich Architects and CG Schmidt General Consulting Firm is surveying each school in the district, documenting maintenance issues and designating an urgency plan or repairs on timeframes of two to five years, six to 10 years or 10 or more years. The firm is completing an analysis that gives the district information on which classrooms and learning spaces are too small to meet national guidelines.

Kieckhafer said there are no capacity concerns at Monroe High School or Monroe Middle School.

The firm will have a four-hour meeting on the results of the facilities study at 5 p.m. Jan. 29. During the meeting, representatives will review each of the problem areas and give the district an estimated cost to repair the issue and list the urgency needed for the upgrade.

The district is considering forming a facilities advisory committee that will prioritize necessary repairs identified by the study after Jan. 29.

Waski said the facilities study committee would meet outside of regular board meetings.

"Otherwise it gets very entangled with other things you have for board meetings," he said.

District leaders plan to form the facilities study committee after winter break.

"It's tricky to try to recruit someone for something when we haven't seen the results," said Bob Erb, Monroe school board president. "We should plan on a broad group involved."