CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield Area School District Board of Directors deliberated the future configuration of its elementary buildings Monday night after hearing Superintendent Dr. Thomas B. Otto’s recommendation to consolidate them and the Clearfield Middle School and move kindergarten through grades six into an expanded and renovated Clearfield Elementary School.
Superintendent’s Recommendation
Otto proposed the board pursue plans for closing the middle school as well as the Bradford Township, Centre and Girard-Goshen elementary schools after the renovation and expansion of the CES. He said it would cost approximately $9 million to expand and renovate the CES.
He said with the high school project included, it would cost an estimated $43 million to renovate the district’s school buildings. Although he “truly understands” it’s a “great deal of money,” he pointed out it is $11.26 million to $15.53 million less than the six options presented in March.
In addition, Otto said it would cost the district approximately $1.5 million to repair the Girard-Goshen roof. He said they have received “limited assistance,” if any, by the companies involved in the school’s construction for its repair.
Otto projected the district wouldn’t occupy the renovated high school and elementary school until the 2014-15 school year. He said the “earliest possible” movement of students would be December 2013, and it would require planning that hasn’t yet been considered. However, he said the “most logical plan” would be to align programming and necessary staffing to start in August 2014.
Recommendation Rationale
Otto presented the following list of rationale that laid the groundwork for his recommendation.
- The existing building structure requires the district’s attention.
- The district’s debt service, of which it pays approximately $1.7 million to $1.9 million per year, will expire in 2013. With its “excellent” credit rating, it will be able to borrow money to pay approximately $2.5 million per year for the life of the loan.
- The district’s economic climate is opportunistic at the present time because interest rates are low, and a need for contractors to bid competitively for the opportunity to work on its buildings will be intense.
- There has been an examination of the potential reduction or realignment of the district staffing in every category of personnel, and it will result in a potential savings of $800,000 annually. He described this reality as “uncomfortable” due to the potential of furloughs occurring, but this will be based on the district’s personnel needs.
He said it is his hope that as personnel retire, the district will not replace them and will reassign their responsibilities. He and his staff are currently studying the Chapter 4 regulations that outline the necessary state program requirements and employee union contracts to ensure that all expectations are met.
- By modernizing its facilities and consolidating to two building structures, the district will recognize an additional annual savings of $520,000. This would result in its personnel, maintenance and utility spending being $1,320,000 less per year than what it’s currently spending.
- The current reduction of income necessitated by the Pennsylvania state budget cuts has placed the district in a situation that it must anticipate doing more with less assistance from the state. Gov. Tom Corbett’s Feb. 7 news conference regarding the budget for the 2012-13 school year will provide some direction for the future as the district builds its budget.
- The district can anticipate future requests from employees for salary increases while also anticipating a requirement to pay more expenses in employee retirement contributions and health care costs. The district’s ability to minimize these costs will help its financial situation.
- The CES expansion and renovation plan would include eight kindergarten classes and seven classes each for grades one through six. In addition, there are classrooms planned to meet the needs of the district’s “exceptional children.”
The goal would be to have the average class size, which is based upon the district’s current enrollment, at 22 – 26 students per classroom in grades one through six. Kindergarten classes would average around 20 students, Otto said.
According to him, this would allow the district to provide better equity for all students by leveling out the class size for instructional purposes. For example, he said the current kindergarten classes have a large difference in the number in each room, varying in range from 10 to 28 students. He said this same disparity in class sizes can be observed in other grades throughout the district.
- Teachers would have more opportunity for collaboration and professional development. They will be with their colleagues in the same grade they are instructing and will have the opportunity to plan and share the best practices.
- Transportation needs regarding the bussing of students can be “met with success,” according to Otto. The longest one-way time that a student may have to ride to or from school is estimated at 57 minutes. He said the number of students who would be currently affected is 13. In addition, he anticipated that one less bus run would need to be utilized.
The majority of the board concurred with Otto when board President Dave Glass sought their individual opinions of the recommendation.
“This is what we’ve been looking at all along,” board member Rick Schickling said. Board member Tim Morgan, who resides in Bigler, said he always believed the more localized an education, the better. However, he didn’t have any doubts that the district’s students would receive a quality education when they all come together.
Board member Jennifer Wallace, who has elementary-aged children in the district, echoed similar sentiments. According to her, her daughter once attended Centre Elementary but has been enrolled at the CES. She’s been pleased with the quality of education provided there, and her daughter has done “great.”
“Our kids are resilient, and they will adjust,” she said. However, she encouraged further exploration by Otto and his staff into the district’s transportation plans if they would follow through with his recommendation.
She believed 57 minutes was a long time for any young student to be on a bus and encouraged that the district “do more” and make a “sacrifice.”
“We’re talking about first, second, third and fourth graders. If they’re on the bus 57 minutes in the morning, they’re going to be tired. Then, they’re in school all day and have a 57-minute ride home,” Wallace said. “Even if we have to add busses, it may help (reduce time). Some parents work two jobs and don’t have the luxury of driving their kids to school.”
Otto said he would look for a more “direct route” and believed it would be the students who live in the Bradford Township and Girard-Goshen area being the most affected. He noted the Girard-Goshen students are already being bussed to the CES.
Glass favored consolidating to one elementary school, adding his support might have been different if Clearfield had a growing community and tax base. Board member Larry Putt said in the long run, the district would likely save money by consolidating to two buildings.
“It looks like a lot of money right now,” he said. “But we got to have what’s best for our students and educators. Our students deserve a top-notch education.”
Board member Susan Mikesell agreed the district should move toward consolidating its middle school and elementary schools. At the same time, she wasn’t sure which buildings and appeared to favor keeping one open that’s located “further out” to reduce students’ bus time. She realized it might not be feasible.
Only one board member, Phil Carr, completely opposed Otto’s recommendation. He said the district’s students currently fit in the four existing buildings, and he would rather do that than spend another $9 million to expand and renovate the CES.
Glass said the four outlying buildings were all in need of repairs, and it would probably cost around $9 million. Carr didn’t agree and believed it could be done for less.
Solicitor Aimee Willett said the board must advertise any school building closure for 15 days before an Act 780 public hearing. By law, Act 780 is a public hearing, required by school districts before consolidation can be considered. In addition, it must be held no less than three months before a decision can be made.
When asked, Willett said the board may also be required to hold an Act 34 hearing. Act 34 requires that a public hearing be held on all new construction as well as for any substantial additions. She said the Act 34 hearing would probably precede the Act 780 hearing.
Willett encouraged the board to continue its deliberations regarding the middle school and elementary buildings and work alongside its architect, J. Greer Hayden of HHSDR Architects/Engineers. Glass said the district would arrange for Hayden to be present for its February meeting.
Brief Update and History
According to Otto, the board had a district-wide feasibility study conducted to determine the “most economical and efficient manner” by which to maintain its facilities while offering the “best educational program available” for its students. The study has resulted in a $34 million high school expansion and renovation project that is to begin this summer.
Phase I involves reorganizing the grade level structure and converting the current high school into a junior-senior high campus. Phase II will involve finding solutions to the necessary repairs and or the renovation of the district’s elementary schools, grades kindergarten through fourth, and the current middle school, grades fifth through eighth.
On March 7, 2011, Otto said the district hosted a public hearing in the middle school auditorium at which time six options were presented with estimated costs, ranging from $54.26 million to $58.53 million. The board agreed all six options were too expensive, and it warranted exploration of additional options.
At that point, the administrative team and architect developed options six and seven with estimated costs of $45 million. Ultimately, the board approved its subsequent option nine, which houses grades seven through twelve at the high school campus and relocates the district’s administrative offices to the auxiliary gymnasium there.
He said the board has initiated the PlanCon building process for the high school campus through the state’s Department of education. At the present time, he stressed the board hasn’t made any finalized determinations about the renovation of the existing elementary buildings and middle school and continues to face costs at these buildings to ensure the safety and welfare of the students and employees.