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

  • Washington State University Debuts New Engineering Hall

    Washington State University recently celebrated a dedication ceremony for the new Schweitzer Engineering Hall on its Pullman campus in Pullman, Wash., according to university news. The facility measures 66,288 square feet, and its completion marks the first milestone in a larger university effort to modernize the engineering and design district.

  • Georgia State University Opens New Research Tower

    Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, nine-story, 155,000-square-foot Research Tower, according to university news. Amenities include academic classrooms, a large lecture space, teaching labs, faculty research space, and the uppermost floors reserved for future expansion.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.

  • Lawrence Group Announces Three New Hires

    Integrated planning and design firm Lawrence Group, based in St. Louis, Mo., recently welcomed three new staff members, according to a news release.