palmerk Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 Proceedings of the 20-Year School Facilities Planning Committee District #2 Yellowstone County Billings, Montana (Page 1 of 14) August 24, 2004 The meeting was called to order at 6:35 p.m. by Co-Chair, John Eisen in room 213 at Lincoln Center. Members Present: John Eisen, Barbara Bryan, Matt Brosovich, Ed Workman, Donell Small, Peggie Smith, Randy Hafer, Greg Krueger, Mike Marnin, Tim Cranston, Ludlow Howe arrived at 7:45 p.m. Members Absent: Greta Besch, Larry Brewster Guests: Peter Gesuale, Jack Johnson, Karen Moses, John Fitzgerald of the Billings Gazette, Dan Martin, Chief of Operations and Kathy Kelker, Trustee APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion to approve the minutes from the August 10th meeting was made by Matt, seconded by Donell and all voted in favor. RESIGNATION It was reported that Greta Besch will be resigning from the committee due to personal time commitments. HIGH SCHOOL ALTERNATIVES At the last meeting the committee members agreed to meet in groups of thee or four and come to this meeting prepared to present a list of preliminary concepts or scenarios for facility planning of our high schools. Those summaries are attached to these minutes at Attachment #1 (Page 3-13 of these minutes) The scenarios were reviewed and similarities and differences were discussed. Some of the comments in reference to the ideas included: • We don’t know what area of the city will grow the most rapidly. • Be sure to consider influx of out of district students coming into our high schools. • When populations reach 150,000 they rapidly expand to 250,000. • We should address our current needs and down the road address possible new schools. • Moving 6th grade to middle school buildings would ease the capacity concerns in the elementary schools. • The Career Center is in a bad location. Too much instructional time is taken away for transporting to and from the school, it isn’t an ideal location for a magnet school. • Possibly Lockwood will consider building a high school in the future. • We should consider savings measures for maintenance in our plans. • The district should build trust with the public by selling some of the unoccupied property to help fund these facility projects. • Kathy noted that the city has discussed moving Daylis Stadium and is not adverse to moving the facility to the Metra where parking would be available. She also pointed out that by requiring all Lockwood students to go to Skyview might make Senior ineligible as a Title I school, consequently losing funds for instructional needs. HIGH SCHOOL & ELEMENTARY CONCEPTS Between now and the next meeting the members were asked to contact Barb as to which topics of the scenarios they would like to research and address. Some of the concepts have been outlined in Attachment B (pages 14 and 15 of these minutes, Concept Sheet 1: High School and Elementary School Concepts identified on 8/24/04. PROPOSED FRESHMAN ACADEMIES SURVEY It was suggested that those interested in proceeding with the survey stay after the meeting and draft a list of questions that should be included. The questions must go through an approval process before we can proceed. SCHOOL COMMUNITY COMMITTEE September 13th , at 6:00 p.m. has been set as the date and time for the 20-Year Planning Committee to meet with the School/ Community Committee. COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Barb will update this committee at the next meeting on the communication plan and potential speakers. CAPACITY STUDY John has been working on a capacity study and distributed an example of the work thus far. When the information is complete, it will be presented to this committee. NEXT MEETING he next meeting will be Sept. 14th at 6:30 in room 213 at Lincoln Center. ADJOURNMENT With no further business the meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m. Recorders: Co-Chairs: Donna Obie John Eisen____________________ Barbara Bryan Barbara Bryan_________________ Attachments: Attachment 1: Preliminary Scenarios, Groups A, B, C Attachment 2: Concept Sheet 1: High School and Elementary Concepts Identified Attachment #1 PRELIMINARY SCENARIO IDENTIFICATION SHEET: BILLINGS HIGH SCHOOLS Twenty-Year School Facilities Planning Committee GROUP A SCENARIO #1 GROUP A: John Eisen, Barb Bryan, Ludlow Howe SCENARIO OVERVIEW: Through building revitalization (restoration, upgrades, some expansion), accommodate total current enrollments for 9-12 at Senior, West, and Skyview. Leave frosh academies off-site temporarily, then move back on-site. Plan for future expansion of Skyview by addition of freshman academy space if and when merited by increased enrollment. EXPANDED SCENARIO DESRIPTION: 1. FRESHMAN ACADEMIES. Maintain freshman academies for Senior and West off-site for 2-4 years, until revitalization (renovation, upgrading, and expansion) is complete at home high schools. Also, for purposes of equality, plan for eventual addition of frosh academies for Skyview (either off-site as a temporary means, or on-site as part of expansion) when justified by enrollment growth. 2. REVITALIZATION OF SENIOR, WEST, SKYVIEW. Revitalize Senior, West, and Skyview to add needed capacity to accommodate current enrollments of 2,000 at Senior and 2,100 at West and to allow incorporation of permanent, in-house freshman academies. Discontinue off-site academies when permanent ones are in place. Renovate and upgrade beyond safe, warm and dry to include improvements related to aesthetics and educational needs. 3. REDUCE SENIOR, WEST, AND SKYVIEW ENROLLMENTS. Concurrent with nos. 1 and 2, take steps to get more kids out of Senior, West, and Skyview. Specifically: - Increase use of the Career Center, but leave intact the current system of having Career Center students attached to Senior, West, or Skyview as their home high school. Methods of increasing use could include: 1) expanding existing programs, 2) adding classes that some kids are going back to home schools for (such as advanced math), allowing more kids to attend the Career Center full-time, 3) increasing opportunities for kids to earn college credit and high school credit simultaneously (through coordination with MSU-B College of Technology, COT), and 4) developing excellent marketing materials for the center and promoting it to parents and kids. Pursue grant possibilities. May require some additions/upgrades to Career Center, or possible moving the early childhood education program elsewhere. When # 2 is complete, the 12 rooms now used for West’s freshman academy can be reverted to Career Center use. - Arrange for off-site more internships for upper classmen (with local businesses, organizations, etc.) - Investigate letting students get ahead through summer school, thus allowing early graduations or reducing the number of classes the students take during the regular school year. (Currently, only makeup classes are allowed in the summer.) 4. Concurrent with 1, 2, and 3, above, form a blue-ribbon committee of community members to determine a new location for Daylis Stadium. (Possibly finance move and reconstruction through private fundraising efforts, rather than with district funds.) Once stadium is in new location, move practice field to existing stadium site, and expand site resources for general PE and other student uses. Also, raise activity fees for extracurricular activities (with scholarships for those who can’t afford), raise parking fees to cover lot maintenance, and maybe add surcharge to Daylis admissions to raise $ for stadium move. 5. Upon completion of no. 2 and the Career Center part of no. 3, above, develop, fund, and implement a preventive maintenance plan for Senior, West, Skyview, and the Career Center. Do not defer maintenance, leading to deterioration of revitalized buildings. 6. Review plan every 2 years from start. Make adjustments as needed. PROS: - Gets freshman back into the high schools (so they have the High School connection), while retaining the positive benefits of the freshman academies. - By improving use of Career Center, and expanding existing buildings, won’t have to build a new building; thus avoid sitting problems, need to staff and all-new school, maintain all-new school etc. - Getting Daylis off the Senior site solves the nighttime parking problems. Neighbors mostly complain about people parking in front of their houses only when there are evening events at Daylis. - Eventually gives Skyview freshmen the benefits of the freshman academy experience. CONS: - Leaves larger enrollments at Senior and West. - Continues costs of off-site freshman academies for several more years. - Costs of revitalizing high schools will be high. Likely will cost more than revitalizing for lower enrollments. - May be difficult to fund relocation of Daylis Stadium. - May not provide enough opportunities for kids that aren’t planning to go on to college right away. GROUP A SCENARIO #2 GROUP A: John Eisen, Barb Bryan, Ludlow Howe SCENARIO OVERVIEW: Revitalize (restore, upgrade, expand) Senior and West for reduced enrollments of 1,500-1,800, including freshman. Make some improvements to Skyview, and plan for possible future expansion of Skyview. Convert Career Center into standalone four-year high school, without varsity sports. EXPANDED SCENARIO DESRIPTION: 1. Same as scenario #1. 2. Same as scenario #2, except revitalize Senior and West to accommodate enrollments of 1,500-1,800. 3. Same as scenario #1, except convert/expand/revitalize Career Center to be a standalone high school (but without varsity sports). Follow model similar to that for Irving Texas Academy. Rename Career Center to something more neutral, such as Yellowstone Valley High School. 4. Same as scenario #1. 5. Same as scenario #1. 6. Same as scenario #1. PROS: - Solves overcrowding problem, if indeed schools are overcrowded. - Gets freshman back into the high schools (so they have the High School connection), while retaining the positive benefits of the freshman academies. - By maximizing use of Career Center, and expanding existing buildings, won’t have to build a new building; thus avoid sitting problems, need to staff and all-new school, maintain all-new school etc. - Getting Daylis off the Senior site solves the nighttime parking problems. Neighbors mostly complain about people parking in front of their houses only when there are evening events at Daylis. - Would better meet needs of students who aren’t college bound. - Gives Skyview freshmen the benefits of the freshman academy experience. CONS: - Continues costs of off-site freshman academies for several more years. - Costs of revitalizing high schools will be high. - May be difficult to fund relocation of Daylis Stadium. PRELIMINARY SCENARIO IDENTIFICATION SHEET: BILLINGS HIGH SCHOOLS Twenty-Year School Facilities Planning Committee GROUP B GROUP B: Tim Cranston, Randy Hafer, Mike Marnin, Donell Small SCENARIO OVERVIEW: Move all Lockwood students to Skyview, shift boundaries to move some students currently at West to Senior, remodel/renovate West and Senior to the level they were requesting in last bond issue or possibly lower if the renovations were excessive. Add a freshman academy for Skyview to ease overcrowding. Relocate Daylis stadium to allow Senior to have more parking, practice and expansion space. Move 6th graders into middle schools. EXPANDED SCENARIO DESRIPTION: 1. Move Lockwood students to Skyview and adjust boundaries to try and get all schools close to the same size. This move would place each high school at roughly 1900 students (1650 full time equivalent). 2. Continue with the academies for West and Senior, an academy will need to added for Skyview. We looked at Beartooth as a potential academy for Skyview. However, with the new subdivisions and trailer park in the heights, this school will probably need to be reopened as an elementary school in the near future. Classrooms can be added to Skyview for about $110.00 per square foot (per Dan Martin), so it would appear to be cost-effective to spend money on a permanent fixture on Skyview’s campus rather than to remodel Beartooth and bus students there. 3. Remodel/renovate West and Senior to improve air quality and lighting and reconfigure for more efficient use (Dan Martin says it can be much cheaper than the proposals, and they would be well set for many years). Dan also stated that it would be less costly to tear down the old portion of Senior and build new to handle 1800-1900 students than to try and remodel the old part of the school. 4. Relocate Daylis stadium to a different location to allow Senior to have enough expansion, practice and parking space. We did discuss some potential locations, preferably near the Metra for central local and possible use of Metra parking facilities instead of having to build new parking lots. 5. Principals and teachers have stated that a 2-year middle school is not adequate for a transition from elementary to high school, and that 6th graders are too old to be in the elementary schools. With this we would propose to move all 6th graders to the middle schools. Currently Lewis and Clark could handle 40-50 percent of the students, so roughly 30 classrooms will need to be added to the other three middle schools to allow for this change. With this scenario it would free up 55-65 classrooms in the elementary schools for use, so there would be no need for any new elementary schools for quite some time. This is also much more cost- efficient than building a new elementary facility and will allow more cost-effective use of staff in all buildings. 6. With the above changes, the district will need to strictly enforce boundaries for all schools and not allow personal interest groups and politics to influence decisions and cause potential problems in the future. PROS: • More efficient use of facilities and land already owned by the district. • More cost-efficient than building new buildings in “unknown” growth areas. • Takes care of current needs until actual growth pattern of the city is established. • Will not contribute to “urban sprawl” that seems to be a concern of many in the community. • Should be able to handle student population without hiring additional staff. • Will better align our facilities with students’ developmental needs by having true primary schools (K-5), true middle schools (6-8), and true high schools (9-12). • Very flexible plan to accommodate future growth patterns and district realignments. CONS: • Will need some new construction (additions) to handle student population. • School district will need to strictly enforce boundaries. • Not a “perfect” solution for West and Senior as the freshman academies will be off campus. PRELIMINARY SCENARIO IDENTIFICATION SHEET: BILLINGS HIGH SCHOOLS Twenty-Year School Facilities Planning Committee GROUP C GROUP C: Matt Brosovich, Larry Brewster, Ed Workman SCENARIO OVERVIEW: Expand and upgrade Skyview to accommodate all Lockwood students; also expand school’s wireless network to allow mobile computer labs, freeing up classrooms. Then renovate/expand Senior and West, including change to wireless networks. EXPANDED SCENARIO DESCRIPTION: 1. At Skyview: - ADD CLASSROOMS. Add 15 classrooms to Skyview, from 79 to 94 classrooms, to accommodate all Lockwood students. - EXPAND LIBRARY AND ATHLETIC FACILITIES. Also expand the library and athletic facilities to accommodate additional students, and to put Skyview weight room and athletic facility on par with the other two high schools. - EXPAND WIRELESS NETWORK. Expand the current wireless network across the entire school. This would allow the four classroom computer labs to be made into mobile labs, freeing up the four lab classrooms for other classes on full-time basis. (For example: If a classroom containing the mobile lab is needed during a day is and is not being used for a computer class, the laptops in the lab could be folded up and placed in a locked closet and made available for additional class room space. If the opposite occurs, i.e., if an unused classroom is needed for computer use, then the laptops could be unfolded and placed on the desks in that room to turn the classroom into a computer lab.) - NOTE: Explore and hire architects not associated with JGA and CTA to explore the expansion of Skyview and expansions discussed for Senior and West, below. The focus of renovations should be not only on improving education but also on minimizing maintenance costs. Always, in any expansions of the existing schools, building up should take precedence over building out whenever possible. During renovations, the first priority should be to make the learning environment pleasurable. Thus, adequate HVAC and lighting systems are essential 2. ASSIGN LOCKWOOD STUDENTS TO SKYVIEW. Upon completion of #1, assign all Lockwood high school students to Skyview. (Over 4-year period, this would relieve Senior of up to 400 students, resulting in a drop of enrollment at Senior to approx. 1500 students. Since Senior has had very little upward movement in its student body over the last ten years, this would likely stabilize Senior’s student body to a manageable level. 3. At Senior, upon completion #1 and #2, complete an extensive renovation/expansion to create a better learning environment: - ADD CLASSROOMS. Add 6 additional classrooms over the current band classrooms. With the student body reduced by 400 students, this number of additional classrooms should be enough. Also, reduction in student body should also help alleviate some of the daytime parking issues at Senior. - MOVE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES TO COURTYARD. Build new staff and administrative offices in the internal courtyard. This will make use of available land on the site and free up space in the school that is currently used for administration. - COVERT TO WIRELESS NETWORK. Convert to wireless computer networks to allow same flexibility as described for Skyview (see discussion under #1); this would free up – at least part-time – the three classrooms now used full-time at Senior for computers 4. Upon completion of #1 and #2, expand and renovate West High: - ADD CLASSROOMS. To create better learning environment at West, renovate to quality are renovating at Senior High and expand by 10 classrooms. This would take West (like Skyview) to a total of 95 classrooms to accommodate 2100 students. Classrooms could conceivably be added on the present site of the school, to the east and south sides of the existing building, and accounting for the City’s required setbacks, - CONVERT TO WIRELESS NETWORKS. Convert to wireless networks to free up computer labs (see discussions for Senior and Skyview above, re this topic). - MAKE BETTER USE OF AUDITORIUM. Make better use of existing facilities, especially the auditorium (currently, the auditorium is used less than 100 days a year, while gyms and classrooms, in contrast, are used virtually every day). Work with an architect to design an auditorium that is multi-purpose, and can be used to accommodate band, orchestra, and choral facilities (both as classroom and performing space.) NOTE: One unanswered question that relates to the auditorium: Why do all plans for expanding the auditorium call for enlarging the auditorium’s storage space at the expense of some of the seating? - SOLVE PARKING PROBLEMS. To solve parking issues, first limit the number of parking permits given to underclassmen. Second, purchase land nearby and renovate for additional parking or expand into land available on site. Third, build some sort of parking structure to accommodate student parking needs. 5. REDUCE ONGOING MAINTENANCE COSTS AND FIND REVENUE FOR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE. For example: - Convert Skyview’s sprinkler systems for external landscapes (and where possible the sprinkler systems at the other schools) to well-driven water systems.. - Explore Voice Over Internet Protocols (VOIP) to eliminate the cost of analog phone land lines at the schools and the need for dedicated T1 lines for both voice and data throughout the district. Centralize 1) the VOIP system in the administration building at the Lincoln Center, and 2) the data and telecom administrator into one building using the data backbones that will no doubt be required to run an operation of this size over time. Also, eliminate a number of off-site maintenance costs and sub-contractor maintenance contracts that the school district pays currently for phone service. The described changes should allow the district to maintain its own systems with little need for outside assistance. 6. Sell excess School District #2 land on the West End in congruence with any bond issue proposed to pay for above changes. This will show the public that SD2 is willing to explore options to decrease the impact of the Bond on the Public. Always, when selling property, look at getting at least the appraised value for the property. PROS: -Makes good use of existing land and buildings. - Improves learning environments - Alleviates overcrowding by expanding number of classrooms. - Alleviates parking issues at West and Senior CONS (not yet completed): - - - BACKGROUND ON SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT Meetings Held on 08/13/04 and 08/19/04 The above scenario was developed per interviews with local administrators and principals at the local high schools. To the surprise of most of those members of group C, Skyview became our first focus, because 1) Skyview had the ability to accommodate more students through expansion on already available land, 2) expanding Skyview to handle Lockwood students would have a significant impact on Senior, and 3) needed internal renovations as Skyview were less significant than those required at Senior. In essence Skyview needs much more minor internal enhancement and more maintenance then either of the other two high schools (correct?). Specific parts of the scenario are based upon the following: - According to Principal Sulser, West High needs internal renovation and expansion by 10 –12 classrooms. With creative thinking, the expansion can take place on existing site land. - According to Skyview principal Bob Whalen and others, much of the overcrowding at Senior is due to the fact that 9 out of 10 Lockwood high school students attend Senior High. This has an impact of close to 400 hundred students at Senior High. To effectively renovate Senior, some of the overcrowding issues there have to be attended to immediately. - Skyview’s existing 79 classrooms are up to 200 square feet larger than classrooms at Senior and West, and Skyview also has approx. 10 fewer classrooms then either Senior or West. For Skyview to accommodate an enrollment of 2,000, it would need approximately 95 - 100 classrooms. Skyview has land available to add the 15 classrooms that would be needed to accommodate Lockwood students. Also, Skyview's internal structure is in much better condition and much more enhanced then the other two other high schools, resulting in the need for less internal improvement. - Internal improvements, most notably wireless networks, would allow schools to more efficiently use computer labs by making computer labs mobile (rather than having teachers moving around). 5-YEAR TIMELINE FOR SCENARIO Years 1 and 2 Renovate and expand Skyview (primary focus), and Lincoln Center, and Career Center if needed, to accommodate excess students during the West and Senior renovations. Years 3-5 Renovate and expand Senior and West to accommodate 1500 students and 2100 students, respectively. NOTE: During renovations at Senior and West, to lessen impacts on students, the district should 1) examine having work continue during weekends and nights, and 2) consider using leased mobile classrooms to accommodate some students. Attachment #2 CONCEPT SHEET 1: HIGH SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CONCEPTS IDENTIFIED ON 8/24/2004 (Page 1 of 2) HIGH SCHOOL CONCEPTS NOTE: These are ideas suggested ideas at the 8/25/2004 meeting of the 20-year School Facilities Planning Committee. Investigation of these ideas does not preclude the consideration of other ideas. Also, these ideas might be revised or abandoned based on the results of further investigation. DAYLIS STADIUM. Move Daylis stadium to site off Senior High campus. Data/Research Needed: Possible alternative locations and advantages/disadvantages of each; estimate costs of building new stadium and demolishing old one; funding ideas (public vs. private or some combination). SKYVIEW. Move Lockwood high school students from Senior to Skyview. Add Skyview freshman academy (either on-site or temporarily off-site). Renovate/expand Skyview to accommodate additional students as needed. Data/Research Needed: - Lockwood enrollment at Senior (grades 9-12) at end of 2003-04 school year - Current enrollment (by grade) at Lockwood’s K-8 school - Total enrollment at Lockwood K-8 for past 5-10 years (to indicate if no. of LW high school students will increase in future) - How would moving Skyview students affect Senior’s Title 1 designation? - Graduation rate of Lockwood high school students (would this move impact the high dropout rate for Lockwood students?) - Projected enrollment for Skyview without Lockwood students (increasing?) - Projected enrollment at Skyview for next 5-10 years with Lockwood students - Cost of adding on-site or off-site freshman academy for Skyview (one-time and ongoing costs) - Extent/cost of renovations needed at Skyview - Advantages/disadvantages in terms of dollars and education SENIOR AND WEST. Change boundaries (and strictly enforce) for Senior and West to equalize enrollments. Maintain freshman academy concept at Senior and West. Leave academies off-site temporarily until renovation/expansion done at Senior and West to accommodate on-site academies, then move freshman in to the on-site academies. Renovate Senior and West for improved learning environment. Data/Research Needed: - Itemized annual cost of off-site academies based on last year (not counting one-time construction work at Career Center) - New enrollment boundaries and number of kids at each school – with freshman academies off-site and then on-site. - Cost/extent of renovating Senior and West for improved learning environment and to feature in-house freshman academies - Historic enrollment at Senior and West (increasing? decreasing? stable?). - Advantages/disadvantages in terms of dollars and education CAREER CENTER. Maximize use of the Career Center by means ranging from adding classes to attract more full-time students to converting Career Center into accredited four-year high school. Data/Research Needed: - Accreditation requirements and standards - Historic Career Center enrollment - Similar institutions across the country - How and if would reboundary for Career Center attendance - Costs of transporting students to Career Center OTHER. - Expand off-campus learning opportunities and creative enrollment reductions (off-site internships, off-site classrooms, early graduations, expanded summer school, taking college classes off-site) - Convert to wireless networks in all school (costs, benefits, potential problems) - Convert to VOIP in all schools. (costs, benefits, potential problems) - Design all renovations/expansions to minimize operating costs (energy efficient features, etc.) - Sell excess district property as act of good faith to public ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Reconfigure the elementary district to grade K-5 elementary schools and grade 6-8 middle schools. Data/research needed: - Most recent enrollment data for all elementary schools (and which middle schools they feed into.) Break out grade 6 data. - Most recent enrollment data for middle schools. - Research on K-5 and 6-8 configurations - Required additions to middle schools (costs, etc.) - Remaining enrollments at elementary schools for K-5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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