Meeting Notes
Monday, November 1, 2004
6:00 PM

6:10-8:20 PM

Facilitator:  Jana Carlisle

Attendees: Allen, Bakari, Eagle, Florence, Garver, Jackson, Jones (Anita), Jones (Rod), Melendez, Padilla, Rebholz, Silver, Spaull, Stid, Sullivan, Trippe, Vazquez, White, Zetteck

Agenda:

I.  Review Notes 

• October 25 Minutes
• Summary of Criteria
• Summary of Schools of the Future 

II.  Small Group Activity

• Develop draft of additional information needed
• Generate ideas on how to communicate to the community
• Develop definitions for criteria
• Develop definitions for Schools of the Future elements    

III.  Next week’s scheduled meeting Monday, November 8, 2004, 6 pm

• Presentation by and discussion with Budget Department regarding finance/budgeting with regard to Capital Improvement Plan and facilities modernization, renovation, state aid, City Charter, debt
• Unscheduled meetings: TBD

I.  Review Notes 

Questions/Comments on Review of October 25 Meeting Notes:

• Question: How many schools will be closed next year ?
• Answer: We don’t have a definite answer, because we are working on a modernization plan. Idea is to reduce capacity due to decreased enrollment and operating costs, but this could be done in many different ways, such as possibly eliminating transportables. We also have to consider Schools of the Future models before we define closing plan. Thus, we are reluctant to come up with an exact number now.

Transportables:

• Question: What is the cost comparison to take away transportables versus other options ?
• Question: If we were to eliminate or move them, would this really save us money ?
• Question: 5 year projections and long term cost analysis, are we better off taking a loss now versus later ?

• Question: When we take a building off line, we’ll have to address the possibility of laying off staff, operational costs/personnel.
• Question: It is important to ask why there may be discrepancies in classroom enrollment sizes, EG: 12 students versus 27 students.
• Answer: We have someone checking into enrollment of each school.

• Question: Should the criteria factor in accessibility for handicapped and specialized programs for students with disabilities?
• Answer: This was discussed in internal Schools of the Future discussions.  The District already complies with the ADA law.  However, we will define what we mean by equity in all buildings and what a classroom that is adapted to meet needs of the majority of handicapped students looks like (as opposed to highly specialized school environments for those with severe handicapping conditions or particular needs – e.g. hearing impaired at School #1, severely physically handicapped facility at School # …)

II.  Small Group Activity

• Draft of additional info needed to make recommendations

Group 1

• Enrollment trends of ESOL and Special Education
• Enrollment projections  if the District factored higher numbers of graduates
• Overall operating capacity of elementary schools w/o transportables
• Accounting of all operating budgets
• Savings to operating budgets and potential facilities modernization
• Cost of demolishing transportables
• Savings associated with eliminating transportables
• 5 year projections and initial projections savings or costs
• Breakdown of type of modernization
• Description of top 10 types of modernizations
• School choice data with school comparisons

• Ideas on how to communicate to the community

Group 1:

• Be straight from the beginning-no sugar-coating reality; be open to suggestions
• Mass media campaign
• Community Organizations focus groups (NBN)
• Direct mail to students’ homes
• PTA/PTO communication and involvement
• Identify what to accomplish at meetings, not open ended
• Have concrete plan before going to community
• Who else could facilitate other than District cabinet member?
• Superintendent to speak and/or appear on local TV/Radio multiple times, particularly WDKX
• Regular, consistent communication
• Attend CAFÉ meeting

• Identify definitions for (possible closing) criteria

Group 2:

• Economic Development / Reuse:  Buildings to be closed should have a positive effect on community
• Whenever possible they should contribute to the economic development /vitality of community such as offering housing, opportunity for employment, recreation opportunities, etc.
• Age and Condition of Buildings:  Buildings should remain structurally sound, easily renovated, and include sites without limitations for expansion.
• Financial Considerations:  Strike a financial balance between operational savings, opportunity for revenue and potential cost of renovations
• Buildings with highest net local cost to upgrade should bring this facility to top of closing consideration list
• Internal and external environmental risks:   Determine the extent to which internal and external environmental risks exist at each site.  Factor in the cost of abatement and permanent remedy to abate hazardous substances, if they exist.
• Student enrollment and population/demographic/public investment trends in specific neighborhoods
• Consider historical enrollment trends and current “demand” for each school as captured in school choice data
• Consider percentage of students from the neighborhood who attend the school (e.g., percent of walkers)
• Neighborhood revitalization, does this influence a parent’s sending a child here.  EG: 3rd Ward
• Importance of Facility to the Neighborhood:  Determine extent to which the “school” and “building’s use” is important to neighborhood; seek input from community to determine this

• Identify definitions for Schools of the Future criteria

Group 3:

• Flexible adaptable design:  Consider extent to which a building can have increased flexibility, reducing “static” room use and creating opportunities for rooms and buildings to be used in different manners over time.  To what extent, can a building be cost effective and adaptive to student and educational needs and technological changes
• Smaller schools: Consider site potential for housing a 400 to 500 student school or several small schools (school w/in school).  Benefits of small include increased focus on students, reduced bureaucracy or layers of departments & staff between students and adults, principal knows and interacts with students, greater autonomy of site, possibilities of greater compatibility w/neighborhood scale and density
• Natural light:  Consider opportunities for enhancing or expanding natural light in buildings.  Benefits include psychological and physical benefits and energy savings
• Centralized resources:   Consider extent to which certain services – library, media center, wireless technology access, instructional support centers – can be centralized in a building. 
• Community interaction:  Consider extent to which a building can house non-educational services for students and community such as social, athletic, cultural, health clinics, Student and Family Support Centers and be accessible year round, day/night to the area, neighbors, businesses, community
• Academic program:  Identify ideal grade configurations (research based and consistent with District) to house in the building and the options for housing different grade levels in a specific site.  Also consider emerging best practice learning needs, options, trends and the extent to which a building is conducive to enabling these
• Also, included was suggestion to create / enforce “codes” (well established and enforced) regarding dress, behavior, single sex classes (for core subjects)
• 3 ways to view school:
• School has to function in and out
• School needs to fit community, and generate pride
• School works for student progress and success

General Comments from Jana:

• Suggestion to develop checklist for architects, planners and engineers on items to include in Schools of the Future planning assessment and analysis, EG: could school X accommodate a larger auditorium, skylights, classrooms, etc
• Suggestion made to extend meetings through December. Deadline to make recommendations to Facilities Modernization Board and BOE in December.
• Note that upcoming Community Forum could be better attended because PR includes message about school closings

Meetings to continue on Mondays (with the exception of the 15th of November) through mid December. Dates: Nov 8, 22, 29; Dec 6, 13. Time: 6-8 PM

Next week:

I.  Review

• November 1 Minutes
• Status of Data Requests & Update on Community Forum

II.      Presentation by and discussion with Budget Department regarding finance/budgeting with regard to Capital Improvement Plan and facilities modernization, renovation, state aid, City Charter, debt

• Accounting school operating budgets
• Savings to operating budgets

III.      Presentation by and discussion with Facilities Department

• Spreadsheet outlining level of facilities reimbursement
• Cost of demolishing transportables
• 5 year projections and initial projections savings or costs
• Facilities Checklist & Work of Architects, Planners, & Engineers Groups