The 2016 Jefferson County Schools facilities master plan proposes dramatic changes over the next seven years, including the closure of seven schools, consolidating 10 elementary schools into five new buildings, moving 44 sixth grades to middle schools and modifying boundary lines.
The $420 million plan affects each of the 154 schools in the district --; providing needed renovations to many --; but has left many parents, teachers and community members asking for more information.
"It's a very large plan that leaves questions for every school community in the district and some items don't have answers yet," said Shawna Fritzler, Arvada parent and founder of Support Jeffco Kids. "There are specifics that parents need to bring up to ensurethe bestpossible outcomes. Even things the district has not thought of must come to light in these discussions."
Introduced to the public and the Board of Education on April 21, the plan examines each facility's maintenance needs and condition, past bond promises, efficiency, program growth, population density changes and enrollment trends.
"The objective is to provide an optimal environment for teaching and learning," said Steve Bell, chief facilities officer for Jeffco Public Schools. In January, the school board directed the facilities staff to revise the existing plan, which happens every five years.
Eight community meetings will be held from May 31 to June 9 to give all stakeholders the opportunity to review the plan and provide feedback on their area's proposals. To find a list of these meetings, visit www.jeffcopublicschools.org/fmp.
Changes may occur in each of the district's articulation areas --; which designate the neighborhood elementary, middle and high school students attend according to where they live. If approved by the school board, the projects listed in the plan would be paid for either through existing capital funds or a bond measure.
"Every single school in the district has some repair need, with many of them facing critical issues such as faulty wiring, outdated fire alarms and other needs," Supertintendent Dan McMinimee said during the April 21 meeting. "Fully implemented, this plan could significantly enhance the use of general fund dollars and significantly improve student learning and teaching conditions."
Major changes include the consolidation of 10 elementary schools into five new schools, build fiveto six new buildings to replace outdated facilities and create new schoolsand the integration of sixth graders from 44 elementary schools into the middle school level.
"We have elementary schools that are pushing capacity and this option would help allow for enrollment growth at those sites," Bell said of the shift to a six-eight middle school. "We did our homework and found the six-eight model is also the preferred education model."
District staff said they'd like to receive board direction at the board's June 16 meeting, the final one of the school year. If the board doesn't aprove the plan in June, it will revisit it in September.
Jeffco is the second-largest school district in Colorado serving 86,000 studentsacross suburban, mountain and unicorporated communities. The plan addresses facility needs where schools are overcapacity as well as where they are underutilized, Bell said.
"This plan provides a long-term blueprint for successful management of our 12 million square feet of space, $2.7 billion of facility assets and 176 sites," he said.
The board will hear an update on community feedback to the plan at the June 16 meeting. Board president Ron Mitchell said he'd like to look at these decisions individually, rather than as a whole.
"Community input and their ability to help us solve these issues is a critical layer of this process," Mitchell said. "I do not believe that we will approve it as an entire plan, but do it in bits and pieces based of the community feedback, board conversation and financial need."
To the community, schools are more than just facilities, Fritzler said.
"For families, schools become our community," she said. "Our friends, neighbors and support system are all within that school community, so it's so far beyond a simple discussion of facilities."
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Districts-plan-would-consolidate-close-schools,212825
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