By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Distilling objectives down to 16 main points, the Burlington Area School District is set to move forward with its facilities planning in about two weeks.
A meeting scheduled for Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. at the district office, however, has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts.
Nick Kent of Plunkett Raysich Architects – who has been the firm’s representative in the planning process, said in an email Tuesday the pricing will not be final costs “by any means” but designed to “start providing guidance” on what the financial impact on the community will be.
The 16 facility objectives, as defined Monday night, were:
- Building capacity and enrollment needs to be re-balanced.
- Maintain neighborhood schools and do not close any buildings.
- Address existing maintenance issues at all schools.
- Reduce the number of building transitions.
- All Montessori grade levels should be together in one location.
- Improve site layouts, including parking, drop-off lanes and traffic circulation.
- Provide appropriately sized and configured spaces for all programming, including special education, art, music, STEM programming, a potential virtual school, a potential greenhouse and potential culinary arts.
- Add more space to support the performing arts.
- Add space for athletics, including at the middle school level.
- Improve safety and security at all schools, including secure entrances and a potential sprinkler system.
- Consider appropriate, modern, flexible learning spaces at all grade levels.
- Maintain curricular offerings.
- Build responsibly and use as much existing space as practical.
- Elementary schools should have a minimum of two sections per grade.
- Improve physical appearance and environment to engage students and staff.
At the meeting Monday night, there were already questions that some of the bullet points could be contradictory, for example, keeping neighborhood schools, but maintaining two sections per grade at the elementary schools.
Students may be asked to balance enrollment by shifting to another school, but also addressed Monday night was a need to balance diversity. School Board Member Phil Ketterhagen said the most free and reduced lunches are provided at Waller Elementary School, and the fewest at Winkler.
He also said a large number of English language learners tend to be grouped at Waller, and spreading the students out could help expand diversity.
The problem, which was raised by others, would be assembling appropriate staffing at all the schools.
“We need multiple teachers,” said Board Member Barry Schmaling.
The idea of turning Dyer Intermediate into a fifth elementary school was raised, as was grouping grades 5-8 together in a middle school.
Burlington High School Principal Eric Burling said that particular grouping isn’t common, but the district could be a trendsetter and that many districts in the state still function as K-8 grade schools.
The idea of visiting other districts to get a better idea of flexible learning spaces was also brought up. Kent suggested visiting a new elementary school in the Sauk Prairie district, but Burling said it would be good to see renovated schools in addition to brand-new facilities.
Among the districts suggested were Mequon/Thiensville and Brown Deer.
The School Board also eliminated a few of the proposed options for facilities upgrades, including all options that would bring more grade levels to the current high school space.
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