What Monona Grove School District does

Monona Grove School District (MGSD) is a public K-12 school district headquartered in Monona, Wisconsin, serving approximately 3,600 students residing in Monona and Cottage Grove. Founded in 1956, the district operates eight schools across elementary, middle, and high school grade bands, including the MG21 liberal arts charter school and Monona Grove High School. Programming spans 4-year-old kindergarten through grade 12, with special education services from age 3 through 21.

The district is funded primarily through local property taxes and Wisconsin state and federal aid, supplemented by usage-based fees such as $300–$600 annual open enrollment transportation charges and a fee-supported 4K Wrap Care program operated through Fund 80 (community service fund). The 2018 voter-approved referendum authorized over $57 million for facilities and operations, and the district has an anticipated $30M–$36M capital pipeline over the next decade. Technology infrastructure is built on standard K-12 SaaS platforms — Canvas for learning management (secondary), Infinite Campus for student information, Finalsite for mass communications, TalkingPoints for secure family messaging, Skyward for HR/finance, and Visitor Aware for visitor management.

MGSD is governed by an elected Board of Education and led by Superintendent Tanya L. Fredrich, Ph.D., who assumed the role on July 1, 2024. The district is currently executing a major restructuring: Taylor Prairie School and Cottage Grove School will consolidate at the Cottage Grove site for 2026-27, the underutilized Maywood School is being evaluated for potential partnership or divestiture with the City of Monona, and the District Office/MG21 location (Nichols property) is under similar real estate review. No venture or private equity ownership exists; MGSD is a government state entity.

Name

Monona Grove School District

Legal name

Monona Grove School District

Website

https://mononagrove.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Monona Grove School District is a Wisconsin public K-12 school district serving approximately 3,600 students across 8 schools in Monona and Cottage Grove, funded primarily through property taxes and state aid, and currently executing a major school consolidation and property rationalization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Public school district
• Early childhood education
• Special education services
• Community education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: Public school district funded primarily through local property taxes, with the 2018 referendum approving over $57 million for facilities and operations
2. Open Enrollment Transportation Fees: Private pay transportation option for open enrolled students: $300/year for one way or $600/year for round trip
3. State and Federal Funding: State aid and federal funding for public education operations
4. Property Lease Revenue: Maywood School partially leased to City of Monona for $62,000/year

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Monona Grove School District provides public K-12 education to approximately 3,600 students in Monona and Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, operating six active schools (Cottage Grove School, Granite Ridge School, Winnequah School, Glacial Drumlin School, MG21 Charter School, and Monona Grove High School) plus underutilized Maywood School. Offerings span 4-year-old kindergarten through grade 12, special education (ages 3-21), 4K Wrap Care, English Language Learners, Career and Technical Education, summer school, and a community pool facility with swim lessons and aquatic fitness.

Product overview

Monona Grove School District is a public K-12 educational institution serving approximately 3,600 students in Monona and Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. The district operates a network of schools including elementary schools (Cottage Grove School serving 4K-2, Granite Ridge School serving grades 3-5, Winnequah School serving 4K-5, and Taylor Prairie School serving 4K-K), middle schools (Glacial Drumlin School and MG21 Charter School serving grades 6-8), and Monona Grove High School (grades 9-12). MG21 Charter School also serves grades 9-12. The district provides educational programming from 4-year-old kindergarten through high school graduation, special education services, before/after school care (4K Wrap Care), community pool facilities, and various support services including transportation, school nutrition, and student counseling. Beginning 2026-27, the district will consolidate Taylor Prairie and Cottage Grove schools at the Cottage Grove site to create a unified 4K-2 elementary school. Technology systems supporting operations include Infinite Campus (student information), Canvas (learning management), TalkingPoints (family communication), and Finalsite (website/communications).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MG21 (MG Liberal Arts Charter School for the 21st Century): Charter school serving students in grades 6-12 with liberal arts focus
• Monona Grove High School
• Cottage Grove School
• Glacial Drumlin School
• Granite Ridge School
• Winnequah School
• Taylor Prairie School

Products and services

• Cottage Grove School (Grades 4K-2) Public elementary school serving Cottage Grove students in grades 4K through 2. Beginning the 2026-27 school year, will consolidate with Taylor Prairie School students to form a unified 4K-2 elementary school at the Cottage Grove site.
• Taylor Prairie School (4K-K) Public school serving Cottage Grove students in 4K-kindergarten. Being consolidated into Cottage Grove School beginning the 2026-27 school year.
• Granite Ridge School (Grades 3-5) Public elementary school serving Cottage Grove students in grades 3-5 within the Monona Grove School District.
• Winnequah School (Grades 4K-5) Public elementary school serving Monona students in grades 4K through 5 within the Monona Grove School District.
• Glacial Drumlin School (Grades 6-8) Public middle school serving Monona and Cottage Grove students in grades 6-8 within the Monona Grove School District.
• MG21 Charter School (Grades 6-12) MG Liberal Arts Charter School for the 21st Century, serving Monona and Cottage Grove students in grades 6-12 with a liberal arts focus. Located at the District Office.
• Monona Grove High School (Grades 9-12) Public high school serving Monona and Cottage Grove students in grades 9-12 within the Monona Grove School District.
• 4K Wrap Care Program Before and after school childcare program for 4K students. Offered at Cottage Grove School and through partnership with Monona Parks and Recreation at Maywood School. Fee-supported on a monthly billing cadence through Fund 80.
• Pool and Aquatics Programs Community pool facility offering swim lessons, lap swimming, open swim, and aquatic fitness programs for district residents and the broader community.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than half of teachers hold a Master's Degree or Ph.D.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nelson's Bus ServicecoreOthersProvides transportation services for MGSD students. Manages bus routes and transportation zones. Sign up available starting in June for the school year.
• EdustaffminorOthersContracted substitute staffing service covering teacher, educational assistant, custodian, and administrative assistant positions. Provides orientation, background checks, and access to Absence Management system.
• Monona Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide wrap care for 4K students attending Winnequah School, held at Maywood School beginning 2024-25 school year.
• Colliers | Wisconsin (Inland Real Estate Partners LLC)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLicensed real estate broker engaged to assess fair market value and potential disposition of district-owned properties including Maywood School, Nichols/District Office property, and evaluate options for securing future land acquisition.
• City of MononacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaywood School partially leased to City for $62,000/year. Exploring potential partnership through letter of intent for Maywood School. City has expressed interest in mixed residential and business opportunities near Nichols property.
• Wisconsin Office of School Safety (OSS)coreOthersRuns Speak Up Speak Out (SUSO) tip-line program providing 24/7 response to school safety concerns. Staff trained in PREPaRe curriculum developed by National Association of School Psychologists.
• Capital Area Regional Planning GroupminorOthersProvides population projections and demographic data for enrollment forecasting, including Dane County projections to 2050.
• Community OrganizationsminorOthersPartnerships with Centro Hispano, Urban League of Greater Madison, MOSES, Nehemiah, Families for Justice, Madison Public Library, Monona Public Library, and other local organizations for equity resources and family support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sun Prairie Area School District: Suburban Dane County public K-12 district serving a similar demographic profile to Monona Grove, with comparable reliance on property-tax and state-aid funding and overlapping open-enrollment catchment — making it the closest comparable on scale, geography, and funding model.
• Oregon School District: Dane County suburban K-12 district of similar enrollment scale to MGSD, sharing the same Wisconsin state-aid framework and property-tax revenue base — a like-for-like comparator on operations and funding.
• DeForest Area School District: Dane County K-12 district serving growing suburban communities comparable to Cottage Grove — relevant peer for enrollment-growth dynamics, capital planning, and open-enrollment competition.
• Verona Area School District: Suburban Madison-area K-12 public district serving a similar middle-to-upper-middle-class residential base; competes with MGSD for the same open-enrollment families and operates comparable grade-band configurations.
• Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District: Suburban Dane County public K-12 district with a similar 4K–12 structure, comparable per-pupil funding mix, and shared open-enrollment pool — a strong operational and demographic analog to MGSD.
• Waunakee Community School District: Highly-rated Dane County K-12 district with strong community-funded referendum history — directly comparable in size, suburban Wisconsin positioning, and reliance on voter-approved operating and capital referendums.
• McFarland School District: Small suburban Dane County K-12 district geographically adjacent to MGSD's footprint — useful as a scale and consolidation-comparable given its smaller, single-site operating model.
• Stoughton Area School District: Dane County K-12 district of broadly similar size to MGSD, with comparable mix of property-tax and state-aid funding and overlapping competition for Dane County open-enrollment students.

Regional players

• Janesville School District: Mid-sized Wisconsin K-12 public district outside the Madison metro but operating under the same state funding framework; relevant as a regional comparator on referendum-driven capital planning and suburban-scale operations.

Broad incumbents

• Madison Metropolitan School District: Largest K-12 district in Wisconsin and the regional anchor; not a direct enrollment competitor for Monona Grove but is the dominant player in the Dane County open-enrollment market and sets benchmarks for programming, equity, and per-pupil funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKL8OSUUXPEUpzfP8vMVuKA
• Facebookfacebook.com/MononaGroveSD
• Instagraminstagram.com/mononagrovesd
• Xx.com/MononaGroveSD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/monona-grove-school-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Monona Grove School District