Wayzata district to build new elementary and middle schools on 85‑acre Medina site

Chase, a Wayzata Public School District official, said the district will build a new elementary school and a new middle school on an 85‑acre parcel in Medina after voters approved funding in a recent referendum. “We are in Medina, Minnesota on the property that our school district plans to build a new elementary school and a new middle school,” Chase said during an on‑site episode of the Inside WYZetta podcast.

The district purchased the property in 2018 and officials say about 65 acres of the site are considered buildable — enough room for both buildings. Chase said the district will now move into detailed design work, sell the first round of bonds authorized by voters and develop timelines before significant groundbreaking, a process that could take more than a year.

Why it matters: The two new schools are intended to relieve overcrowding across the district, provide flexible space for special programs, and accommodate projected residential growth near the site. Chase said co‑locating both schools offers construction efficiencies and potential cost savings during bidding and earth‑moving operations.

Chase described several practical steps the district will take before construction. A district committee that already has met will continue to guide design and construction; strategic partners named in the podcast include Wold Architects and Engineers, who will design the buildings, and Kraus Anderson, the construction manager. “We’ve developed a committee that has already met two or three times,” Chase said, adding that the committee includes finance and buildings and grounds staff and will bring in subgroups and other departments as needed.

Traffic and safety near Highway 55 and a nearby railroad crossing are significant design considerations, Chase said. The district has completed a traffic study for the adjacent areas and is coordinating with the city of Medina, the state and the county; options under consideration include extended turn lanes and railroad safety improvements, while a bridge over Highway 55 was judged cost‑prohibitive.

On timing, Chase said the district now expects both schools to open in the fall of 2029 after adjusting bidding timelines that had earlier suggested a possible 2028 opening. Construction for the project package is expected to span roughly three and a half to four years once underway, and some parts of the high school addition may be phased into use earlier.

Chase also noted the district has saved design costs in the past by replicating or mirroring floor plans — citing Metal Ridge and Northwoods as earlier examples — and estimated the Northwoods design saved about $300,000. The district will evaluate whether existing floor plans can be adapted to the new site and will tweak designs to reflect current best practices and specific site constraints.

Next steps: officials will complete design work with Wold, sell bonds, refine construction bids with Kraus Anderson, and continue traffic and site coordination with local and state agencies. The district announced a community process for naming the new schools and said it will invite public suggestions and use a committee to narrow options.

The podcast episode ended with Chase describing the opening‑day energy he expects when students move into the finished buildings and with a reminder that substantial planning, financing and coordination remain before construction begins in earnest.