The plan aims to address declining enrollment following the COVID-19 pandemic at the elementary and intermediate school level, underutilized and aging school facilities, Chief Communications Officer Elaina Polsen shared as part of a presentation. Facility renovations could lead to a bond to pay for costs, Board Trustee Scott Bowen said.
“We’re not a fast-growing school district any longer; our demographic projections show us steady for the next 10 years,” Polsen said.
Yet, despite the the declining enrollment, certain facilities—such as the district's two magnet schools—currently exceed capacity, Polsen said.
“I think we need to be careful that we’re maximizing the space we already have and remember that we’re in an unfriendly interest-rate environment,” Bowen said. “I think there’s more scrutiny than ever on these bond proposals and taxes, property taxes especially.”
Staff recommended that the district expand tuition-based pre-kindergarten, scale up the district’s “The Leader in Me” program, develop a new standard for intermediate school learning spaces and transform select schools into “schools of innovation” with unique learning opportunities in partnership with local businesses, according to the presentation.
A final “Vision 2030” plan and further preliminary recommendations will be presented to the board for approval at the March 27 meeting with further update by the Facility Advisory Committee in April, according to the presentation.
