BOE Meeting for January 10, 2006

School Consolidation Item

1. Employee of the Month

Background: Each month the Distict recognizes outstaninding performance by our employees. This month the District recognized: Feroozeh Anzari, SPED Paraprofessional, Wood Middle School.

Strategic Significance: Goal #12 - Communications and Community Engagement

2. Measure A Fiscal Oversight Committee Report

Background: Measure A was approved on June 7, 2005. The fiscal oversight committee presented a report on their review of expenditures used by Measure A funds.

Strategic Significance: Goal #12 - Communications and Community Engagement and Goal #1 - Curricular & Effective Practice

Background: On November 16th, there was a workshop to review the impact of declining enrollment along a review of scenarios for facilities usage and school consolidation.

The scenarios for November 16th Workshop that were presented were:

Scenario One - Consolidate Miller and Woodstock Straight Rollover

Total 393 students occupying 20 rooms with 0 vacant rooms and 35 seats available.

Scenario Two - Consolidate Miller and Woodstock Straight Rollover Minus Interdistricts

Total 338 students occupying 17 rooms with 3 vacant rooms and 30 seats available.

Scenario Three - Consolidate Miller/Woodstock/Longfellow Straight Rollover Minus Interdistricts with new wing

Total 495 students occupying 26 rooms with 2 vacant rooms and 62 seats available.

Scenario Four - Consolidate Miller/Woodstock/Longfellow Straight Rollover Minus Interdistricts with new wing including potential students from Bayport, Breakers and Harbor Isle

Total 591 students occupying 28 rooms with 0 vacant rooms and 21 seats available.

Staff updated those scenarios based on feedback received at the workshop and presented two options at the November 22 Board meeting.

Option One - Consolidate Miller/Woodstock with a new wing

Total 486 students occupying 25 rooms with 3 vacant rooms and 27 seats available.

Assumptions

• Straight rollover of Woodstock and Miller Students generates an enrollment of 393 students
• Current enrollment pattern for the last three years has generated an average of 87.6 per grade. If the pattern continues enrollment could increase by 40 students.
• Use of low generation rate for Breakers (5) and Bayport (48) would result in 53 additional students over the next 2 years.

Considerations

• Current inter-district students would stay.
• Use of high generation rate for Breakers (16) and Bayport (51) would result in 67 additional students over the next two years.
• Woodstock and Miller attendance zones are combined. No other boundary changes.
• 3 possible rooms to be used to accomodate WCDC after school program.
• Need student transition plan to move to new school.
• Actual enrollment from Bruzzone (3), Marina (2) have generated few elemenentary students.

Facilities Implications

• Need to construct new wing (8 classrooms) to accomodate projected additional students (a cost of $2.4 million)
• Potential space needs for universal pre-school
• Woodstock would temporarily house Haight School during Haight School retrofit project
• Miller School would temporarily house Island High until Woodstock School is remodeled for Island High occupation
• Island High housing project can proceed as soon as site is vacated
• Planning for facility specifics take place from January to March
• Longfellow remains open. When Harbor Island project reaches completion and enrollment information is actual, school closure criteria will be applied to reevaluate situation.

Option Two - Consolidate Miller/Woodstock/Longfellow with new wing

Total 591 students occupying 28 rooms with 0 vacant rooms and 21 seats available.

Assumptions

• Inter-district students (75) from Miller/Longfellow/Miller are placed in schools east of Webster St.
• Straight rollover of remaining students from Miller, Longfellow and Woodstock schools.
• Use of low generation rate for Breakers (5) and Bayport (48) would result in 53 additional students over the next 2 years.
• Use low generation rate for Harbor Island (41).
• Current enrollment pattern for the last three years has generated an average of 105 per grade. If the pattern continues enrollment could increase by 39 students.
• Place no more intra-district placements (33) at the new school.

Considerations

• Placement of 75 inter-district students Miller/Longfellow/Woodstock at other schools east of Webster Street where rooms and individual seats are available.
• Use of high generation rate for Breakers (16) and Bayport (51) would result in 67 additional students over the next two years.
• Use of high generation rate for Harbor Island (152).
• Annex part of Longfellow attendance zone to Paden.
• Both sides of Pacific Avenue south to Lincoln, west from Webster.
• Phase in during 2006-07 school year. Madatory for Kindergarten and all new students in area.
• Consider limiting Paden's middle school program (2006-07) to the students enrolled in the 6-8 program.
• Close the new school to open enrollment for opening year and Paden through phase-in period of annexed attendance zone (except for sbilings).
• Place no more intra-district transfers or diversions, west of Webster and allow current intra's to return to home schools. This would reduce enrollment by 94 students over time as students work their way through the grade levels.

Facilities Implications

• Need to construct new wing (8 classrooms) to accomodate projected additional students (a cost of $2.4 million)
• Potential space needs for universal pre-school
• Woodstock would temporarily house Haight School during Haight School retrofit project
• Miller School would temporarily house Island High until Woodstock School is remodeled for Island High occupation
• Island High housing project can proceed as soon as site is vacated
• Planning for facility specifics take place from January to March
• Longfellow site could also be used ROP, Adult Classes and office space for various grant services (McKinney/Vento, Even Start, etc.).

There was a Special Meeting on Monday, November 28th to approve going to bid for the new wing.

There were community meetings at Paden (Monday, 6:30pm), Longfellow (Tuesday, 6pm) and Miller (Wednesday 6:30pm) to receive input from the affected school sites.

Superintendent Recommendation

Having given consideration to financial, demographic, and educational data; input from the community meetings, staff and Board meetings discussion, I am recommending that the District proceed with Option One so that the District ensure that we have taken appropriate action to respond to the potential for changing demographics and, therefore, increased population in our West End community.

• This recommendation does not eliminate the choice to consider further consolidation of schools if needed in the future
• This recommendation will address only $300,000 of the $800,000 projected budget deficit for 2006/07 created by declining enrollment
• This recommendation will require the Board to approve $500,000 in additional spending reductions for 2006/07 in the coming weeks

As part of this recommendation, the following facilities decision will be implemented in the 2006/07 school year:

• Longfellow school remains open and school consolidation criteria developed in this processed will be reviewed in 2006/07
• Island High School will be permanently moved to the Miller campus
• Plan for developing the existing Eagle Avenue Island High site into affordable employee rental housing will continue to be developed
• The existing Woodstock site will be occupied by Haight School for 2006/07. Options for use of this site in 2007/08 will include a District office staff development training center, mulitcultural center, adult school classes, and continued use for community-based programs such as Head Start, MicKinney Vento, Categorical Programs
• Woodstock Child Development Center School-Age program will have classroom space at the new school. The new school will also provide opportunities for space needs to be addressed if universal preschool legislation is passed in this year's state budget
• A school Consolidation Committee consisting of parents, staff and community members from Miller and Woodstock school will be established to develop a school consolidation plan, including consideration of a new name for the new school

The Board voted 3-1 to approve the Superintendent recommendation. Member Gibson was absent and Member Forbes voted no. Member Forbes no vote was explained by questioning if we are not closing a school with 168 general education students (Longfellow) now, when would we close it.

Fiscal Implications: $300,000 spending reduction for 2006/07

Strategic Significance: Goal #: 10 Safe Learning Environment

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Last modified: January 8, 2006

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