Lake Nokomis Keewaydin Elementary School

Overview

Lake Nokomis Elementary Keewaydin is a Community School built in 1928. Lake Nokomis Elementary Keewaydin does have air conditioning in the building and does have its own kitchen. The building does have a Safe and Welcoming Entrance, as defined by Capital Planning, Construction, and Maintenance. The building is 86,050 square feet in size and has a design enrollment of approximately 552 students.

Between school years 2014 and 2023, Minneapolis Public Schools has invested $2,708,333 in capital expenditures for the building. In 2017, a facilities condition assessment classified the building as being in fair condition. The Operations Division will be conducting another facilities condition assessment in calendar year 2025.

Lake Nokomis Elementary Keewaydin had an enrollment of 349 students as of 01 October, 2024, with approximately 35.2% of those students qualifying for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch benefits. Note that families are still submitting Applications for Educational Benefits, so this proportion may change over the course of the school year. Total enrollment is approximately 63% of the building’s designed enrollment, making the current building use underutilized [‘underutilized’ is defined as enrollment totaling less than 70% of the design enrollment].

Building Use

At direction of the Board of Education, in October 2024 district staff performed a physical space study of all District schools. This included a walkthrough of the buildings that included many different stakeholders – Board directors, principals, teachers, central office staff, custodians, and others. The tables, figures, and plots below are a summary of data collected during the walkthrough of Lake Nokomis Elementary Keewaydin.

Classroom Spaces

See Table 1 below for how classrooms and labs are being used in the building.

Plan Use	Actual Use	N Rooms
Classroom	Classroom	19
Classroom	Special Ed Self Contained Room	1
Classroom	Technology Room	1
Lab - Art	Conference Room	1
Lab - Art	Lab - Art	1
Lab - Computer	Lab - Computer	1
Lab - Computer	Minneapolis Kids	1

Table 1. Classroom and instructional spaces

Building Layout

The below figure[s] are building floorplans as annotated by building staff.

Figure 1. Floorplan for Lake Nokomis Elementary Keewaydin, floorplan pages 1 through 3

Guided Discussion

A guided discussion consisting of three questions was held with those who participated in the walkthrough. The major themes are included below, as are more detailed summaries of walkthrough participants’ answers.

Question 1: In what ways does the physical environment in this building best support learning?

Lake Nokomis - Keeywaydin’s campus features a combination of open windows, a calm courtyard, and a well-designed layout that promotes both openness and comfort. The clustering of classrooms allows for strong team connections between teachers and students. Ample storage supports learning, and the mix of historic and modern spaces—such as the art room (formerly the cafeteria) and the media center (once the gym)—helps to provide large spaces for specialist classes. The 2013 addition seamlessly integrates with the existing building, offering a logical flow that makes navigation easy. Classrooms are equipped with sinks, saving time for students, and nearby bathrooms are conveniently located. The auditorium is a versatile space, hosting events like dances, assemblies, and after-school activities, with excellent accessibility. The new playground has improved safety, reducing injuries and serving as a community hub for both current students and alumni.

Question 2: In what way does the physical environment in this building interfere with how we would like learning to happen today and in the future?

Keewaydin’s campus faces several challenges related to its physical space. There is no outside bell system, complicating communication and emergency situations and increasing the demand on staff. Some classrooms are too cramped to accommodate more than 23 students, while larger rooms can fit class sizes up to 35-36 students. Certain rooms no longer match the intended use, such as a middle school-designed science classroom now used for grades 2-5. There is a lack of bathrooms on the upper floor, requiring students to go to the main floor, which wastes instructional time. The main staircase, while aesthetically pleasing, presents a safety risk during mental health crises or when students are running, and there is a desire to add protective measures like plexiglass. The playground is not fenced, which is a concern, especially with the younger student population, proximity to Keewaydin Park, and traffic from the street. The gym is shared with community programs in the evening, and the cafeteria often feels overly crowded.

Question 3: What should the district know or appreciate about the physical environment of this building?

Keewaydin has some logistical and design challenges, including strange exits that could potentially be reconfigured into classrooms. While the school is generally loved for its open, welcoming atmosphere, there are concerns about the school’s layout, particularly with the potential addition of a K-1 program. Though the space is available for additional students, there are questions about whether it is adequately designed or safe for younger students. The nearby park does not meet MPS safety requirements, which restricts its use for school activities. Despite these challenges, the school has beautiful, historic architecture, including hardwood floors and open spaces, which create a positive learning environment. The school’s layout, which mirrors other schools in the pathway, helps ease grade transitions. There is also a strong biking community, with efforts to increase bike racks for students and parents participating in group rides to school. While the school is not fully utilizing the nearby Lake Nokomis, there are occasional events like walks and bike buses to connect with the area.

Overall Discussion Themes

Layout supports classroom and staff collaboration
Repurposed spaces provide large rooms for specialists
New playground has improved safety
Some classrooms are too small for modern education programs
Main staircase presents some safety concerns

Survey Results

Fourteen questions were asked of walkthrough participants at the end of the walkthrough. There were 9 respondents to the survey at Lake Nokomis Elementary Keewaydin. The questions the participants were asked are included in Table 2 below, and the response breakdowns are included in Plot 1 below.

Question	Question Short	Question Text
1	welcoming main entry	The main entry is welcoming and able to be used by all students and visitors.
2	physical space design supports program	Generally, the design of the learning spaces in the building supports the way we teach and learn (e.g. classrooms are large enough to fit student desks, small group work space, etc.; there is storage for necessary curriculum, tools, manipulatives; all students can hear when the teacher is talking).
3	enough classrooms	The building has enough classrooms to support the number of students enrolled in the program.
4	entire student body can meet together	The school has a space large enough for the entire student body to be together.
5	adequate academic intervention space	The school has sufficient pull-out space to support instructional needs.
6	adequate regulation space	The school has sufficient pull-out space to respond to student behaviors.
7	adequate SPED space	There are sufficient spaces to meet the needs of the school’s Special Education programming.
8	mental health space	There are sufficient spaces to meet the mental health needs of students.
9	adequate lunch room	The cafeteria can accommodate the entire student body in three lunch services.
10	gyms large enough	The gyms are large enough to meet the needs of the program.
11	enough admin space	There is enough administrative space to meet the needs of the program.
12	functional outdoor space	The outdoor environment provides space for both learning and play.
13	adequate restrooms	The restrooms in the building meet the needs of the student body in terms of location, quantity, and inclusion.
14	building feels bright and welcoming	The building feels bright, welcoming, and efficient.

Table 2. Survey questions

Survey Question Results: Keewaydin Elementary

Plot 1. Survey results for Lake Nokomis Elementary Keewaydin

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