As part of planning for long-term facilities improvements, the district is working with a consultant to identify possible options to:
- Ensure there is sufficient space for students, especially given a projected increase in enrollment; and
- Provide students with modern learning spaces that support more interdisciplinary and hands-on learning, especially in the early/middle grades;
- Implement a facilities plan that promotes health, safety and the efficient utilization of space.
This year, consultant Dr. Paul Seversky, from SES Study Group, guided the Capital Project Community Advisory Committee, the District Leadership Team, and the Board of Education through separate “Planning for the Future Workshops.”
In the Planning for the Future workshops, members of the above groups were asked, “What are the key questions/data that our school community needs to answer/discuss about how best to organize and deliver the prekindergarten through grade twelve program?” They then went through a process to rank their answers as a group.
Dr. Seversky’s charge is to identify options to provide quality and cost-effective ways to implement/deliver instruction based on the district’s program vision and projected enrollment increase. The purpose of the workshops is identifying local values that are essential to guide the program delivery study and options that it might include. The outcome also provides a tool that can be used as an initial rubric for the school community as it possible options for the future.
The top five rankings for each group are below. View the full results for the Planning for the Future Workshop Results 2018-19
Capital Project Community Advisory Committee
(1) How to have a program that helps all children be successful. Are there enough “pathways”?
(2) Have the ability to change; need to be “nimble” in what we do; focus on documented “needs” and not “wants”
(3) Address school safety diligently
(4) Building conditions of our existing buildings and what might be necessary to be done
(5) What skill sets will our students need to be productive citizens after graduation?
District Leadership Team (Central office administrators, principals and directors)
(1) How do we create flexible learning spaces with dual use capability (furniture, walls, storage, tech…)?
(2) What are the current conditions of our buildings?
(3) How can the options support/enhance special instructional areas like PE, STEM, STEAM, art, music, AV, sport fields, project-based learning?
(4) Tie: Options that include trauma-informed and restorative practices in all buildings, including social spaces and mental wellness support spaces.
Tie: Can the historical annual program review recommendations help point to possible options?
(5) Tie: Can we consolidate resources to deliver the program more efficiently?
Tie: What should be the grade configurations that may address child development needs better?
Board of Education
(1) What do we need to achieve the program vision of the district?
(2) Are there options that will support different pedagogies?
(3) Scenario options which are “affordable”
(4) Tie: Scenario options that are scalable: What if the “glass becomes half empty” or “overflows” unexpectedly?
Tie: Are there options that would allow us to deliver the program with more pupil opportunities and efficient use of resources?
(5) Are there program implementation options that can give us flexibility and “nimbleness” in program delivery?