Superintendent’s Blog

We are thankful for those that were able to attend the Community Forum on November 8th.  There were approximately 125 community members in attendance.  After the presentation there was an opportunity for questions and answers.  At the next Facilities Study Committee meeting, the questions and comments made at the Forum will be addressed prior to the group’s recommendation to the Board of Education.  The Facility Committee plans to provide the Board with a recommendation at the November 24th Board meeting.

Click here for the minutes of the meeting of November 5. 

The Facilities Study Group is in the process of formulating a recommendation to the Board of Education. The group will present its recommendation to the community at a public forum on November 8th. Please review the minutes of the group last meeting and plan on joining us on November 8th at the Middle School Auditorium at 10:00 AM. The forum will last one and one half hours and individuals will be provided an opportunity to ask the committee questions.

On Saturday, November 8 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m., the Facilities Study Committee will host a Community Forum to review their work, discuss their vision for the district’s facilities and technology needs, and share the recommendation they are preparing to provide the Board of Education at their meeting on November 24. The vision is being planned in phases and will illustrate a systematic approach to addressing aging facilities and technology throughout the district. Please view the minutes of our last meeting.

On October 7, our facilities group met to continue the discussion and dialog regarding the state of our facilities and available options. The committee was presented a report from our Architects and Construction Manager regarding the cost of renovations versus building new. They also discussed the bonding debt and options regarding possible millage proposals. The group is getting closer to providing the Board of Education a recommendation. Thank you to those that have spent countless hours working on reviewing our facility and technology needs of the district. Click here to review the minutes of the meeting.

On Tuesday, September 23 our Facilities Study Group was provided a guided tour of our High School. After the tour, the group discussed general observations. On Tuesday, September 30 our Facilities Study Group toured the recently built Orchard View High School. The next steps in the process will include general observations, cost analysis of renovation verses new construction, and discussion on next steps. Again, the Committee’s goal is to provide the Board of Education with a recommendation by the November board meeting. The dedicated parents and community members sitting on the committee deserve a great deal of praise for the time, efforts and careful consideration being put forth in this process.

When you read the minutes of our second meeting, you will find the committee is working very hard and exploring all possible options. As we shared after the first meeting, the facility and technology needs of the district are numerous. Everything from electrical power infrastructure, to roof replacements, to boilers, to updated technology, to added classroom space. The other major issue the committee is considering is the age of our existing facilities:

*Beach 1940

*Edgewood 1950

*High School 1955

*Shettler 1961

*Middle School 1968

While we are very proud of the ways in which we have maintained and continue to update the facilities, the age of the buildings creates inefficiencies and costly repairs especially in the infrastructure. We are thankful to the members on the committee for researching all possible solutions.

One of the short term goals of F.C.S. II (Operations and Finance) is to study the facility and technology needs of the district. To that end, a group of thirty (30) dedicated community members, parents, and staff have begun meeting to discuss the needs of the district and possible options to address those needs. The first meeting took place at the high school media center on August 26th. The group reviewed a facilities presentation which provided an overview of historical information, financial data, and a pictorial representation of facilities work completed in the recent past. The Committee will continue to meet and review current and future needs of the district with a goal of providing the Board of Education a recommendation by its November meeting. Updates on the committee’s progress will be provided through posted minutes.

Welcome to a new school year! We are excited to have the opportunity to partner with our parents and community to provide the best education possible for our students. Click here for a video update.

Over the course of last school year and the summer months, we have been working very hard to gather data to formulate our next long-range strategic plan (F.C.S. II). We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and response of our parents, community members, staff, and students. As you can see, over nine hundred individuals contributed to the plan by participating in either focus groups or surveys. Using this data, we have mapped out our district’s goals and priorities. Last year, we celebrated the many successes of F.C.S. I. Reaching 22 out of 22 short and long range goals is something that brings us great pride. However, we are committed to continuing our “Commitment to Success”. Thank you to the many parents, staff members, and administrators that worked so hard on accomplishing our goals. We have an incredible team and a great community!