Elementary School Enrollment and Facilities Planning

An Introduction to Eau Claire Area School District Elementary School Enrollment and Facilities Planning

The ECASD Demographic Trends and Facilities Planning Committee is charged with providing annual recommendation to the Administration and Board of Education regarding demographic trends, boundary issues, capacity updates and other relevant data. Preliminary recommendations from the Committee were shared to the Board of Education in September of 2025. To sustain the Eau Claire Area School District’s long-term financial stability and ensure continued excellence for students, we must operate more efficiently as an organization. Doing so allows us to: 

• Preserve and expand opportunities for all students 
• Reduce the need for large operational referendum requests in the future 
• Demonstrate fiscal responsibility and savings for taxpayers 
• Prioritize resources toward high-impact programming 
• Maintain balanced class sizes across schools 

Although Eau Claire is experiencing overall city growth, elementary enrollment continues to decline due to lower birth rates and demographic shifts. Our current budget is balanced for this year; however, without strategic action, future budgets will face increasing pressure. 

This work is essential to ensure equitable access to both space and high-impact programming for every student in our district. 

Eau Claire Area School District Reboundary/Consolidation Process and Timeline

•    Identify district system leaders, communications staff, and Demographics/Trends Committee members.
•    Define roles and responsibilities.

•    Define concerns, goals, and understanding for family and community engagement.
•    Utilize focus groups to gather feedback and input on values, needs, acknowledgements/concerns with past preliminary options, and new ideas.

•     Identify key audiences, messages, and messengers.
•     Select communication channels and feedback loops.
•     Translate materials (Spanish/Hmong) and ensure accessibility.

•      Announce the reboundary/consolidation process and goals.
•      Share timeline, engagement opportunities, and FAQs.

•      Use community surveys and discussion protocols to gather input on values, needs, and concerns.
•      Ensure inclusive district-wide participation (e.g., multilingual, accessible formats, underrepresented groups, all grade levels).

•     Analyze enrollment data from September 2025 DPI Official Enrollment Count, population studies, building capacities, transportation routes,              and demographic trends.

•     Administrative Team creates multiple boundary options based on data and community input and shares those with Board in open session prior          to Community Forums.

•     Present scenarios and gather feedback.
•     Use LARA (Listen, Affirm, Respond, Add Information) method to manage conflict and build trust.

•     Define options based on feedback and equity considerations.

•     Share rationale, data, and community input summaries.

•     Hold public meetings for transparency.
•     Finalize and approve new reboundary/consolidation option, including a timeline for implementation.

•    Use checklists for school reboundary or closure (if needed), asset management, and student records.
•    Plan transportation, staffing, and student reassignment.

•     Provide transition resources, school tours, and counseling.
•     Communicate clearly and frequently.

•     Begin new school year of 2027 – 2028 with updated attendance boundaries.

•     Use the Engagement Strategies Evaluation Tool.
•     Collect feedback from families and staff.
•     Adjust supports as needed.