Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/03/26

The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

The school will unite the existing communities of Emerson and Spence Elementary Schools, and it will stand on the site of a former district administrative center. The facility is a response to declining enrollment figures and aging facilities, key challenges that the district has continued to face.

"We knew we had declining enrollment; we knew we had to do something about aging facilities,” said district superintendent Aaron Engel in a local news story. “I'm just thankful for the facility advisory committee that deliberated a range of solutions.”

The district’s director of elementary education, Shelly Shirel, commented on the degree of community input that went into the planning process. “The three-story elementary school that will emerge from this spot will be more than a building,” she said. “It will reflect collaboration, thoughtful planning, and our shared commitment to students and community. It will be a place where students, staff, and our community can grow, explore, and thrive together.”

The district hasn’t yet named the school, but local news reports that the community like likely get the chance to provide input.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.

  • Cleveland High School Breaks Ground on Modernization

    Portland Public Schools in Portland, Ore., recently announced that construction has begun on a modernization project for Cleveland High School, according to a news release. The existing building will be replaced with a new, 300,000-square-foot facility at the same site.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • Universities Continue to Launch Multimillion-Dollar Campus Transformations

    What makes the current wave of campus development especially noteworthy is its emphasis on multi-use functionality and community integration. Institutions are no longer investing solely in academic or athletic facilities in isolation. Instead, they are creating destinations that blend recreation, health, housing, and event-driven economic activity.