Minutes

March 10, 2004 Master Plan Committee Meeting

Taken by Charles Hill

Started at about 7:15 PM

Mr. Powell welcomed the committee and introduced Mr. Abramson, consultant to the committee. He will go through some scenarios.

Mr. Abramson began a PowerPoint presentation by speaking about the top 10 concerns he has heard from the committee and from different people he has talked with over the past several weeks. (The PowerPoint will be posted on the district web site, along with these minutes.)

1. Small classes
2. Consistent grades
3. Consistent spaces for special education
4. Equal facilities for all schools
5. True middle school program
6. Adequate facilities for art, music, library, etc.
7. Keep fifth grade in elementary schools
8. Operating costs
9. Construction costs
10. Support space for principal

Regarding smaller classes

• If the district were to reduce class size to a maximum of 20 at K-2, and 23 at grades 3-5, it would need 36 more teachers (not the 41 in the PowerPoint).
• If it reduced to 23 and 25, it would need 15 more teachers (not the 17 shown on the PowerPoint)
• Full day kindergarten did not have enough committee support to move forward. It would have required an additional 20.5 teachers (estimated cost of $1.23 million). There are, however, a number of reasons for having full day kindergarten (social skills, detection of hearing or sight problems, etc.) Some discussion ensued of the value of full day kindergarten, kindergarten centers with an extended day, and maintaining current half-day kindergarten

Regarding reducing school size: not supported by the committee

He explored the question of what would it cost to operate a new elementary school in 2006-7 and discussed numerous related questions with committee members.

Scenarios (see also the descriptions in the February 12 minutes)

Scenario I: Create 4 middle schools, grades 6-8, 750 students each. This was the scenario he would most recommend.

• Reduces VW to 750
• Central administration can move out of Hollowbrook and into VW
• VW can be organized in ways that supports a middle school program
• Examined this scenario under different class size options.
• Lengthy discussion ensued

Scenario II: Create a K-4, 5-8, 9-12 pattern. This is not his scenario.

Scenario III: Mix and match. Combine concept of K-4, 5-8 school pattern with preferred elementary class size.

Scenario IV: K-6 schools, 7-8 middle highs, 9-12 HS. Central administration to VW. Add a middle school, 1+ elementary school, additional elementary school classrooms for 6th grade.

Scenario V: K-6, 7-9, 10-12.

• Reduces hs class size
• K-6 same as scenario IV
• 3000 students for 3 or 4 middle school
• Not conform well to NYS Regents program

Scenario VI: maintain status quo

• Least expensive
• Use portables as needed when population peaks
• Adjust to meet special education, sixth grade, attendance lines needs
• Assume student population will decline

Other possible scenarios

• Kindergarten centers
• Magnet schools
• Others?

Mr. Shuchat handed out several pages and charts that draw on the work of Piaget and Kohlberg that lead him (and a number of other schools in the state) to group middle level students into grade 6-8 configurations rather than grades 5-8.

General discussion of scenarios.

• Status quo option generally lacked support
• Various versions of scenario I garnered the most support

Ended at about 9:20 PM