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New Configuration Public Hearing

New Configuration Public Hearing. May 15, 2008 Superintendent Terry E. Shoemaker. Presentation Purposes. Why the need for a configuration change? What are some proposed solutions? What are the benefits of the proposed change? How much will the proposed configuration changes cost?

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New Configuration Public Hearing

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  1. New Configuration Public Hearing May 15, 2008 Superintendent Terry E. Shoemaker

  2. Presentation Purposes • Why the need for a configuration change? • What are some proposed solutions? • What are the benefits of the proposed change? • How much will the proposed configuration changes cost? • Which building will house grades 7/8 and which building will house grades 5/6? • When will the configuration plan be operational?

  3. What is prompting this need for a change in configuration?

  4. Explosive Enrollment Growth • Wasatch continues to be one of the fastest growing school districts in the state • Takes approximately 10 years for a class to grow 100 students • Our senior class this year has 304 students, our Kindergarten class has 409 students • We project a 3% enrollment growth each year • High school enrollment has declined by nearly 50 students since 2001

  5. 1991-2007 Enrollment History

  6. Three Possible Solutions • Move our elementary and middle school to year-round productivity models. • Bond to replace the Junior High School and build a new elementary school • Change the configuration and move students where we have additional capacity

  7. Year-Round Schools • 4 Track Year-round schedule for elementary and possibly the middle school • Would need to begin such model for Midway, J.R. Smith, and Heber Valley in the 2010-11 school year • Rocky Mountain Middle would have to move to year-round schedule around 2012-13 school year

  8. Bond for a New Elementary School • Old Mill Elementary cost $8 million to build; land costs were donated, but the school district built the roads and infrastructure; around $105 per square foot • Today, the same structure would cost around $13,000,000 at up to $200 per square foot, plus at least $2 million for ground • Two years from now: estimated $14+ million for the structure and over $2.5+ million for the ground • Total costs for a new elementary school + ground and infrastructure could approach $18 million

  9. Bond for a replacement Jr. High • A New Jr. High today (150,000 square feet) will cost $30 million at up to $200 per square foot • Two years from now the same structure could cost $36 million + infrastructure costs

  10. Costs of the Bonds • Up to $18 million for the new elementary • Up to $31-36 million for the replacement Jr. High • Costs could approach $49-54 million to complete these two projects • Debt service required of the public approaches what was needed for the new high school

  11. Proposed New Configuration • K-4 Elementary schools • Grades 5&6 Intermediate Elementary School • Grades 7&8 Junior High School • Grades 9-12 High School

  12. Shifting the School Population • Rocky Mountain Middle currently has 36 teaching areas • Wasatch Mountain Jr. has 39 teaching areas • The new Wasatch High School has 75 teaching areas • There is classroom capacity available for use in all three of these schools

  13. Classroom Expansion • We have 9 double portable classrooms • Rocky Mountain Middle and the new high school were designed to be expanded

  14. What Supports the Configuration Change? • Explosive enrollment growth • Accelerating commercial construction costs • Bond raters are concerned with our mounting debt • Pay off most of our existing debt • Maximizes the use of existing classroom space

  15. Curriculum needs match better with a 5/6 school vs. 6/7 school • Curriculum and activity needs match better with a 7/8 school vs. 8/9 school • More efficient use of personnel resources • Allows greater opportunity for performing arts programs to be initiated and sustained

  16. Which building will house grades 5/6 and which building will house grades 7/8?

  17. Further study is still needed to make the determination about which building will best fit the needs of either grades 5/6 or 7/8. That decision will be made before January 1, 2009.

  18. Costs to change the configuration • Finish the four classrooms, little theater, and auxiliary gym at the new high school (around $750,000.) • Brighten and repair the hallways in the current Jr. High. (around $67,500.) • Add playground space and equipment (around $130,000) for elementary age students • Transportation costs: Minimal if 5/6 is on secondary schedule; around $200,000 for additional bus drivers if 5/6 is on elementary schedule

  19. When will the configuration change be implemented? The configuration change would become operational in the 2009-10 school year. This is the same year that the new high school is slated to open.

  20. Thank you for your attendance. We appreciate your interest in what we are trying to accomplish.

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