Please join the school board work session on Wednesday, December 10, in PHS library at 5 pm, for a discussion on the facilities study, options, and plan for PSD's future. Our goal is to make student learning spaces and staff work spaces as educationally engaging as possible within the limits put on us by state funding. We want to hear from you! Your input will be valuable for the board and admin team to make decisions that best serve the needs of the most students, staff, and tax payers for years to come, given the best information we have. Click here to review the summery, driving factors involved, cost breakdowns, as well as the full recommendations. Listed below are the five options on the table with the data that the district has to date.
Facility Reorganization Plans
Plan A: 4th Grade to Malone, 5th Grade to Middle School
Plan: The Middle School (PMS) would likely run grades 5/6 and 7/8 as separate groups as much as possible.
- Pros: Allows Malone to keep 4k as is.
- Cons: PMS operates at near maximum capacity with four grades. Elementary gym/cafeteria timing would be a challenge, though solvable. Essentially eliminates Cardinal Time (Intervention for grades 4 and 5).
- Concerns: Social impact of 5th graders interacting with 8th graders. Requires converting the Library into a cafeteria or doubling up 3rd and 4th grade physical education. Maintenance likely cannot be kept at PMS.
Plan B: 4th and 5th Grade to PMS
Plan: Moves both 4th and 5th grades to PMS.
- Pros: 4th and 5th Grade students stay together.
- Cons: PMS operates at absolute Max capacity. There would be no Cardinal time. All electives would be on carts, and special education would be confined to a very small space. Maintenance must be moved.
- Recommendation: This is noted as the least favorite option explored, and the presenters stated they do not recommend it, although they wanted to inform the board.
Plan C: Move Grades to 3 Different Buildings
Plan: Move 4th and 5th grade students to the upper floor of PMS, and incorporate 8th grade students into the High School (PHS) schedule.
- Pros: Better utilizes PHS, the newest building in the portfolio. Allows 8th graders to take more elective courses. Keeps 4th and 5th graders together, likely within an elementary model.
- Cons: Four grades at PMS places it near capacity. Puts stress on PMS elective courses and intervention time. Maintenance would likely need to move.
- Concerns: Social impact of 8th graders being housed in the same building as 12th graders.
Plan D: 4th to Malone, 5th to PMS, 8th to PHS
Plan: This plan aims to provide the best use of all three building spaces by putting 4th grade in Malone, 5th grade in the Middle School, and 8th grade in the High School.
- Pros: Each building has room to grow if the population increases. Provides High School options for 8th Grade students. Allows the district to keep HS staffing levels even as High School numbers decrease. Maintenance can stay in PMS. Offers flexibility for district staff.
- Cons: Has the most impact on custodial staff moving to different buildings. The 5th Grade must eat alone due to DPI service size requirements.
- Concerns: Involves lots of movement all at once, but the benefit is getting it all in place simultaneously. Social impact of 8th grade in a building with 12th grade is a consideration.
Plan E: Remain as is for 1 to 3+ years
Plan: Given that the district is the strongest academic school in the Middle Border Conference, the plan is to remain in the current configuration for 1 to 3 years.
- Pros: Current systems are working. Requires the littlest change to staff.
- Cons: No savings result from changing the use of PIS. Significant maintenance is still required on PIS, including a roof cost of $550,000 in next 5 years and $175,000 air handler in the next year or two.
Next Steps
The board needs to decide which options it wants to explore on December 10th. Future steps include:
- Admin will bring maps showing projected room assignments.
- Food service and building and grounds staff will bring specific numbers.
- Grades and students per building will be calculated for each scenario.
- Confirmation of future populations projections using data from the Applied Population Lab - UW Madison.
- Determining how to incorporate community opinion, potentially by inviting citizens to the December 10th work session to speak when called upon, or polling through Infinite Campus.
- Addressing gym space.
- Addressing relocation of the district office and the Gathering Space.
