In Mendota Heights, two schools under one roof?

The West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan school board is considering a plan to house two schools in one building, moving students and teachers at Mendota Elementary to Friendly Hills Middle School as soon as this fall.

Combining the schools is one of several ways that the district could make room for a new, centralized early learning site, administrators told the board last week. District leaders also are looking at two commercial properties where they could lease space instead, but freeing up Mendota Elementary is, "economically, the most viable" option, said Superintendent Jay Haugen.

But some parents are opposed. "They would really need to show me how it would work," said Kelly Keis, who has four children at the two schools.

Mixing age groups would mean a big change in school dynamics, Keis said. "You'd have your little kids going to the school where the big kids are."

She and other parents who attended a board meeting last week also said they're worried about small children and preteens riding the bus together, the impact on after-school programs and much more.

Those concerns are "on the big list of things we need to talk about," said Joni Hagebock, principal of Friendly Hills, which is in Mendota Heights. Housing two schools under one roof is a "refreshing" response to questions of budgeting and space, she said, but school leaders are still exploring the idea.

"I have mixed emotions," said Mendota Elementary principal Steve Goldade. Feedback from teachers and parents has also been mixed, he said.

"I believe the potential is there for the advantages to outweigh the disadvantages," he added.

The board is likely to make a decision about co-locating the schools as part of its budgeting process this spring. If the board wants to make the change this year, administrators need to know by March or April, Haugen said.

Friendly Hills has about 620 students in grades 5-8, but it could comfortably hold the 300 or so extra students who would come to the building through the consolidation, he said. The middle school was built to hold 1,100, he said, "but that would be jammed."

Mendota Elementary has 320 students in grades K-4.

As part of the transition, the district may have Pilot Knob Elementary keep students for an extra year, teaching fifth graders there instead of sending them on to Friendly Hills. Garlough Elementary, which feeds some students to each of the district's two middle schools, may start sending all its graduates to Heritage Middle School.

The schools also would gain efficiency by sharing resources such as a media center and main office, Haugen said.

The early learning site envisioned at Mendota Elementary is part of an expansion plan that has been in the works for months. District leaders hope to double enrollment in early childhood programs to help ensure that all kids are prepared for school. It's a critical goal, they say, if they're to close the achievement gap between white, well-off students and their low-income or minority peers.

Early learning programs are currently spread across schools in the district, but "we're being squeezed," said Marcy Doud, the district's director of special programs.

The new site would house many, but not all, of the early learning programs. In addition to Mendota Elementary, district leaders are looking at two outside properties where the site could be located. The annual lease for those options would be either $396,000 or $327,000, most of which could be raised through property taxes without holding a referendum, according to district estimates.

Moving Mendota students to Friendly Hills would be more cost-effective, Haugen said.