Windom Elementary School

Overview

Windom Elementary is a Community School built in 1920. Windom Elementary 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 73,618 square feet in size and has a design enrollment of approximately 499 students.

Between school years 2014 and 2023, Minneapolis Public Schools has invested $10,250,574 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.

Windom Elementary had an enrollment of 369 students as of 01 October, 2024, with approximately 36.9% 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 74% of the building’s designed enrollment, making the current building use efficient [‘efficient’ is defined as enrollment totalling between 70% and 90% 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 Windom Elementary.

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	18
Classroom	Counseling	1
Classroom	Music Room	1
Classroom	SEL Space / Calming Room	1
Classroom	Special Ed Resource Room	3
Classroom	Storage	1
Lab - Art	Classroom	1
Staff Room	Lab - Art	1
Storage	Classroom	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 Windom Elementary, 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?

Windom’s physical space supports learning through abundant natural light, spacious classrooms with built-in storage, and a variety of flexible spaces for small groups, sensory activities, and outdoor learning. Features like sinks and bathrooms in classrooms, a full-sized gym, a well-equipped media center with a stage, a full kitchen that can serve and prep hot lunches, and a large cafeteria with plenty of sunlight enhance both daily routines and larger group activities. The building’s layout is efficient, with everything located within a short distance, and multiple entrances help streamline student arrival. There is ample outdoor space that is utilized often by staff and students, which provide access to nature and a playground that can accommodate both younger and older students. Additionally, students benefit from lockers that foster independence, and soundproofing between classrooms minimizes distractions and outside airplane traffic noise.

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?

The physical environment in Windom presents some challenges for modern learning, including classroom sizes that are too small to accommodate larger class sizes, especially as students grow. The lack of an auditorium means whole-school gatherings are held in noisy spaces like the gym or cafeteria, which could benefit from sound dampening. Additionally, there are limited bathroom facilities on the second floor, with no gender-neutral options and few staff bathrooms.

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

Windom has a unique historic charm, with features like wood floors, large windows, and built-in details that create a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. Every student has a locker in the hallways promoting independence, and the compact layout fosters a sense of community by allowing students to interact across grade levels. The school’s long-standing presence in the community is valuable, and its proximity to two parks provides excellent opportunities for biking units and walking field trips. Additionally, the building’s visibility from I-35 and from planes flying into MSP Airport highlights its prominence and connection to the wider community.

Overall Discussion Themes

Natural sunlight and access to nature
Historic, unique, and welcoming
Strong connection to the community
Well-equipped cafeteria, media center, and large gym
Classrooms too small for larger class sizes

Survey Results

Fourteen questions were asked of walkthrough participants at the end of the walkthrough. There were 10 respondents to the survey at Windom Elementary. 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: Windom Elementary

Plot 1. Survey results for Windom Elementary

Select a School

Early Childhood

Elementary

Middle Schools

High Schools

Alternative Schools

Popular Pages