The details
Wilson said the district currently has approximately 31,700 students enrolled, which is down approximately 3,400 students from the peak enrollment in 2019-20. The decline has led to an underuse of schools across the district.
“Underutilization of facilities is inefficient and it does lead to increased operating costs,” Wilson said. “To address this issue, we’re going to have to look at how many campuses we actually need based on our projected future enrollment. This analysis may lead to a recommendation to close one or more campuses.”
A closer look
Wilson said the district will also begin preparing for a bond election over the next few months to address campus infrastructure and maintenance and operations needs. He added staff will hopefully be able to share the results of a maintenance, electrical and plumbing study at the April board meeting.
By using potential bond funds to offset some of the district’s operating costs, Wilson said it should allow district officials to rebuild fund balance and to potentially increase teacher compensation.
He said that these two initiatives will need the assistance of stakeholders across the district and district officials plan to be transparent during the process.
“We intend to fully engage the community and provide numerous opportunities for input and conversation before making any moves,” Wilson said.
