In new survey Shakopee residents back $83M high school addition

A new survey of Shakopee residents affirms what last spring's failed referendum made clear: the majority want just one high school. And it appears voters are willing to pay for an $83 million addition to make more room at the existing high school.

The 1,900-resident survey indicates the most popular option — 66 percent of residents said they would approve — for dealing with the district's enrollment crunch is a 1,600 student addition to Shakopee High School, making it a "megaschool" accommodating 3,200 students.

"It is not surprising, in light of the feedback we got," said Shakopee School Board member Reggie Bowerman.

The next-most popular choice, building a second high school campus a mile away that some students would attend for part of the day, garnered 47 percent approval.

Two other options were put forth: creating an entirely new, larger high school for 3,200 students and constructing a second 1,600-student high school, the proposal rejected in the last referendum.

The results will inform decisionmaking as the district moves closer to another referendum. Officials hope to put together the ballot question — what it will ask for and the cost — by February, with a May vote planned.

But first, the district will conduct a more scientific phone survey after Thanksgiving that will be "a key piece of data," said Bowerman.

The new data come from a more informal survey, completed either online or in hard-copy form.

To some, however, the district's desire for more data seems excessive, given that another informal survey was done last April.

"Really? Why do we need to keep incurring more costs to find out the same information?" said Janni Hennes, a member of the guidance group that has been researching options since last spring.

Last March, 63 percent of voters rejected an $89 million referendum that would have built a $78 million new high school to accommodate the district's growing enrollment.

A demographer paid by the district predicted that by 2022-23, there will be 9,450 students districtwide, about 1,500 more than currently attend. That means more space is needed. Creating it at the high school level would allow ninth-graders to move up to high school and sixth-graders to middle school. That would free up elementary classrooms, too, officials say.

Others, like Hennes, fear a second school would result in a "have and have-not" situation where there are key differences between the two, from demographics to student programming.

"I feel that the best can be offered under one roof and at one high school," said Hennes.

As they have grown, metro-area districts have dealt with the need for more space in different ways. Lakeville's 1,850-student second high school, Lakeville South, opened in 2005.

Wayzata, conversely, stayed with one school, passing a $109 million referendum last February to expand its high school to accommodate 3,900 students. Eden Prairie and Minnetonka enroll more than 3,000 students each.

The topic of school size and its effect on student achievement has been researched extensively and become an important policy issue in the last 15 years.

The question of whether to become a two-high-school town has deeply divided residents, causing some to criticize the district for what they believe is excessive spending and a lack of transparency.

At the core of the issue is the town's identity. What used to be a smallish town with an agricultural character has sprouted into a suburb of 40,000, filled with new homes and a younger, more diverse population.

Board member Scott Swanson said he believes that some residents are struggling to accept the changes, and that the criticism stems from that.

Hennes said she believes the growth projections may be inaccurate, noting that Shakopee's growth has slowed in recent years. "So let's be more conservative here and think this out," she said.

But parent Kristin Koller supports building a new high school, and doesn't understand the distrust of the school board.

"I want my tax dollars to benefit my kids while they're in school," she said.

Since the referendum failed, the board has consciously tried to engage the opposition, creating four new committees to make key decisions, he said.

Though he previously favored two high schools, he's "proud" that no board members have an agenda this time. He's realistic about the district's next steps: "Whatever we bring forward needs to pass," he said.