Facilities Planning Committee Meetings, Review
1st
Meeting: January 2008
The
first meeting of the Facilities Committee was held on January 30, 2008, at the
R-7 School Board office. Mr. Rick Cook,
Superintendent, served as chairman for each meeting. He presented charts, graphs, budget numbers,
and other pertinent information to the members during each of the four meetings
that were held. There were different
representatives of the community attending each of the meetings, and many
different options and ideas for meeting the overcrowding needs of the school
district were presented and discussed.
The current financial profile of the district was reviewed at every
meeting, so that members were well aware of the building possibilities that
could realistically be considered. Even
though the committee would like to present a plan for a new high school, new
elementary, and modern updates for the current middle school, the reality is
that these kinds of expenses are not within the budget of the district at this
time. Every person in attendance was
concerned that the plans that are made and accepted will be an improvement for
all students in the Seneca district. The desire of the committee is to find the
best way to meet the needs of our children and provide the best education
possible, but also to accomplish this goal without burdening the taxpayers of
Seneca.
For
those who may have missed the earlier newspaper articles, this overview will
provide you with the discussion highlights of each of the meetings.
The
January meeting began with data indicating that the population of Seneca
schools is currently growing and expected to continue as the surrounding area
becomes more developed and populous.
Some years back, however, there was a drop in enrollment which caused a
reduction in state aide to our district.
We are now coping with deficits now that have an impact on the decisions
we face regarding our building plan.
Enrollment
numbers for each school were presented and shown to be too large for our
present facilities. For example, crowding at the elementary and high school is
having an impact on the amount of time students in those buildings have for
lunch. Some high school students do not
have time to walk across the street, pick up a lunch tray, and eat lunch before
the next bell rings for classes. As a
result, many high school students skip or bring a sack lunch.
The
cost of an addition to the elementary, an update to the high school, and
building a new high school on the Bethel Road site were all discussed at the first
meeting. The only option that seemed
impossible to consider was the desire to build a new high school. It was shown that the cost for that
construction would be approximately $14 million. The option of building a new elementary north
of Seneca on Highway 43 was also voiced.
This idea received positive feedback because of the future growth
expected in the area. Mr. Cook was asked
to provide cost estimates at the next meeting.
2nd
Meeting: February 2008
The
February meeting began with a review of discussion from the January meeting. Again, the committee decided that it would
not be feasible to build a new high school at this time. That cost would be
nearly $14 million, but the cost of an update to the high school is expected to
be $4-$5 million.
The
elementary crowding conditions were revisited.
It was suggested that adding to the present location might be an
option. That was not favorable because
of the cost—which would be comparable to a new facility, and other concerns
about “adding on” were mentioned. Mr.
Cook presented “start-up/one time” costs for a new elementary north of
Seneca. The cost to the taxpayers was
discussed again. Mr. Cook assured
everyone at the meeting that it is not a concern that the
The
committee members feel their major concern is that voters receive
information. They want to present a plan
that will find favor with voters, and that will answer any questions that may
arise. Every Facility Committee meeting
was open to patrons of the school district, and all questions and opinions were
discussed and valued
3rd
Meeting: March 2008
The
March meeting brought some changes in direction. Several new faces were present and lively
discussion was exchanged. It was found
that there was resistance in the district to building a new elementary school
out of Seneca. Several reasons for the
opinions were shared and discussed. As
the meeting continued, it became apparent that an attempt to propose the
satellite school would probably not meet with voter approval. The proposal for adding a new facility next
to the existing elementary seemed the most favorable. That plan, along with updates to the high
school seemed to be the consensus of the committee when the meeting was
adjourned. All interested persons were
invited to attend the meetings.
4th
Meeting: April 2008
The
minutes of the last meeting, on April 16, are included in this article.
Thank
you to all of the interested voters of the community who attended the
facilities meetings. Many hours were
spent planning, researching, and debating the options for the Seneca school
district. One thing is clear: For the good of our students, we need to make
some needed changes to the existing facilities.
It has been difficult in the past to find the perfect plan for improving
our schools. There are so many varied questions,
ideas, and proposals put forth by individuals who care deeply about the future
of this district. It is always
impossible to please everyone. One of
our major constraints is budgetary, but the reality is—as was mentioned in the
last meeting—the needs will not disappear, and the costs will only
increase. If you have questions that may
be answered by a committee member, please contact the school district. Your input is valuable and encouraged.