Determining values and next steps were the topics for the Neenah Joint School District Board of Education at a fourth facilities study meeting on April 5 at Shattuck Middle School.
The Board unanimously agreed that any facilities upgrades will start with safety and security improvements as the top priority. Other values that the Board agreed to prioritize in the decision-making process were having a functional and reliable infrastructure and a student-centered learning environment that promotes high student achievement. The Board also noted that efficient spending and strategic use of resources will be critical as it is with any decision it makes.
The discussion came during the final scheduled meeting in a series to determine the future of the District’s buildings. More meetings will be scheduled and announced at a later date. District administrators will begin working with survey company School Perceptions to develop a community survey to determine what taxpayers are willing to support.
“It’s important for everyone to understand that once we come to some conclusions we are going to survey our entire community,” Superintendent Dr. Mary Pfeiffer said. “After that, we may need to re-create where we’re heading. Nothing is set in stone and it really won't be until after we hear from the entire community.”
The Board directed administration to come up with some additional proposals for the next meeting. Some Board members and open forum speakers believed the high school should be a focal point of the proposal since it is the most visible of the District’s buildings and will serve every student in the District for four years. The middle school was also considered an emphasis since the grade configurations have an effect on the elementary structure as well.
At the high school level, the Board requested a cost breakdown of the specific improvements included in the master plans presented at previous meetings. With elementary schools, the Board appeared unified in preferring to keep all schools open and centralizing all of the 4K classes at Washington. They also asked for information regarding expanding Alliance Charter School and creating “immersion” or “specialty” schools.
For the middle school level, the Board discussed the possibility of a 5-8 grade configuration, but settled on seeking more information toward the creation of separate 5-6 and 7-8 schools. Most Board members were interested in exploring the possibility of razing Shattuck and building a new school either on the same site or a different location near the high school.
Along with discussion regarding the community survey, the next meeting will include a review of a recently completed population study. The study was originally expected to be revealed at Thursday’s meeting, but it was not available in time.
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