The closing and demolition of Elwell Elementary School and the closing and mothballing of Haggerty Elementary are two of the recommendations that are sure to be approved by the School Board at next Monday’s meeting.
The 7 p.m. board meeting on Feb. 27 will be held at the Belleville High School Auditorium, which seats 800, so there will be enough space for all the parents and staff who may show up to hear the board’s decision.
At last Monday’s special meeting and workshop, the School Board was given a preview of what consultant Paul Wills will present at the upcoming meeting.
There are several choices, but the board and School Supt. Michael Van Tassel favored option #1, which includes:
• Reducing number of elementary schools by two: Elwell and Haggerty to be closed and Elwell demolished;
• Reconfigure grade levels to K-4 in the four remaining elementary schools, 5-6 at South Middle School, 7-8 at North Middle School, and continue 9-12 at BHS.
The district is striving for 85% utilization of the facilities, as requested by the state, and closing the two schools will bring them closer to that goal.
Elwell was constructed in the early ‘50s and is still on a septic field, which is failing. To hook it up to the sewer and bring the building up to standards would be costly. Demolishing the building will involve a one-time cost of about $200,000, which can be paid with the available sinking fund.
Having the building gone will save about $450,000 a year, Van Tassel said.
Closing Haggerty for next school year will save between $400,000 and $500,000, Van Tassel said. Then, the Early Childhood Development Center or other programs could be put into Haggerty the following school year.
Board President Martha Toth noted with fewer grades in fewer schools, split grades could be eliminated.
Van Tassel has a redistricting plan, still in the draft stage, that would place students back in their neighborhood school and could eliminate splits. Class size could be reduced to 17- 22, or less in the early grades.
Van Tassel said every student’s family will be contacted in March to let them know what’s happening at their school.
With the reconfiguring of the grades and redistricting of students, the district will be able to run just two school bus tiers: one that will get BHS and North Middle School (grades 7-8) to school by an 8 a.m. starting time and the other to get the K-4 elementary students and South Middle School students (5-6) to school for about a 9 a.m. starting time.
Van Tassel said the district will seek bids from day care providers to have child care before and after school at no cost to the school.
The Boys and Girls Club, based at Edgemont Elementary, is out of money and if they don’t get an influx of funds soon, there will be no Boys and Girls Club next fall, Van Tassel said.
After going through the details of the changes, Van Tassel said, “This will be the recommendation from Paul Wills next week and I concur.”
“Will it come for a vote?” Treasurer Toni Hunt asked and President Toth said, “Yes.”
At a recent meeting Trustee Scott Russell had urged the board not to make a hasty decision on the changes, but Russell was not at Monday’s meeting.
“Even if we just break even, it’s best for kids,” Van Tassel said of the proposed changes. He added that the district will be able to provide better services to the students if they are concentrated in fewer schools. He said with under 200 students at Elwell, he wasn’t able to provide the services as they should be.
Van Tassel said he has attended staff meetings at every school to present and explain the coming changes.
“People have appreciated the process,” said Trustee Brent Mikulski. He said the number of community forums and public discussion is making the whole process more transparent.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Finished the update of the six-inch-thick policy manual and held the First Reading. Toth prepared sections on Procedural Authority, that removes reference to Robert’s Rules of Order, and a section on Voting, that spells out the procedure on votes. The second reading and adoption will be held at the March 12 meeting;
• Heard a presentation on a Carnegie Math program for middle school and high school students that Van Tassel wants to implement for use next fall. He pointed out the MEAP scores are “horrific”, especially in math and the district needs a systematic approach. The three-year Carnegie program, which blends classroom and online teaching, will cost almost $500,000. Van Tassel said the district is “light years behind” in teaching math and the teachers have not been given the tools they need. He outlined other procedures he is taking to improve math education in all the grades. “I expect you to fire me, get rid of me, if you don’t like what’s happening,” Van Tassel said, urging the board to “put money where our mouth is”; and
• Learned an amended budget will also be presented at the Feb. 27 meeting. Van Tassel said there could be ugly cuts again in the new budget, but he thinks the district could be out of deficit next fall. “If we blow redistricting and 100 kids leave us, we can’t do it,” he said of eliminating the deficit.