Community Survey Discussion Headlines May 23 Facilities Study Meeting
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The details of a community survey consumed much of the Neenah Joint School District Board of Education meeting regarding the future of District facilities on May 23 at the Shattuck Middle School Auditorium.
The meeting was the fifth in a series of community meetings. The District will be mailing a survey to every household in Neenah in September with the help of Slinger-based School Perceptions to educate the community about proposed ideas and gather data to determine the final plan.
School Perceptions President Bill Foster attended the meeting and gave two presentations. His first was an overview of his company and their process, while the second focused more on an example of a potential survey.
The most passionate discussion of the night centered around a statement Foster had in his example stating that the District would begin the process by developing a solution for grades 5-12 and then develop a long-range plan for elementary schools from the District operating budget. Some Board members and Superintendent Dr. Mary Pfeiffer agreed with the concept, stating that it must be a priority for middle school and the high improvements school since they are the most heavily-used facilities in the District and every student passes through these buildings. The Board was unanimous in considering it unlikely for the community to support the entire $260 million initial master plan that improved all 14 buildings. It was also pointed out that in about six years, the District will no longer have an over $5 million annual post-employment benefit that could be used toward facility upgrades at the elementary level. Others feared the statement could appear the District is neglecting needs at the elementary schools and they also were unsure about using the future additional money towards the facilities projects rather than other classroom purposes.
Some Board members believed they need to have potential grade configurations settled before moving onto any other decisions. In an informal poll, most of the members favored moving fifth grade out of the elementary schools and having grades 5 and 6 in one building and grades 7 and 8 in a separate building. The move would free up space at all elementary buildings and also be a better learning environment for students and staff rather than the current model of having only sixth grade in one building. Representatives from Bray Architects presented some models of what this could look like with new construction in different sites around the city, including the current Shattuck Middle School site.
The Board also heard from Sarah Kemp, a researcher with the UW-Madison Applied Population Laboratory regarding enrollment projections for the District. Her study indicated that the District should anticipate steady enrollment for the next 10 years with a likelihood for a slight increase.
Only four individuals spoke during the community open forum period. Accessibility, involving students in the process and maintaining facilities were the main points presented.
Board President Michelle Swardenski reminded the Board that it will be challenging to find a cumulative plan in which all nine members are in full agreement, but they and all other stakeholders will all need to fully support the final decision, no matter their personal preferences in order for any potential referendum to be successful. The Board discussed a plan for future meetings and noted it will be difficult to find a date where all nine members will be able to attend. They plan to determine a date for June in the near future and communicate it to the public.
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