Underutilized schools working on new plans

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Sixteen schools, including six in the North Forty News circulation area, are working on plans to address the problem of underutilized schools.

Poudre School District announced on Sept. 17 that nine elementary schools and two middle schools have been asked to prepare plans to be more innovative and cost efficient. They are Cache La Poudre Elementary in LaPorte; the three Mountain Schools in Livermore, Red Feather Lakes and Stove Prairie; Harris Bilingual; Lab School for Creative Learning, Laurel Elementary; Riffenburgh Elementary; Timnath Elementary; and Blevins and Boltz Middle Schools.

Four elementary schools and one middle school have been asked to prepare two plans: one for closure and consolidation and another for innovation and efficiencies. They are Beattie Elementary, Irish Elementary, Lopez Elementary, Putnam Elementary and Lincoln IB World Middle School.

"The schools we are asking to complete closure and consolidation or innovation and efficiencies plans are currently experiencing the greatest enrollment and financial challenges among all our schools," said Superintendent Jerry Wilson in a prepared statement.

Nov. 12 is the deadline for schools to deliver their plans to a district advisory group.

Wilson added that all schools in the district "need to consider efficiencies for future years, given financial realities the district is facing. This is not a one-time event, but a continuation of these efforts."

Simply stated in a board of education resolution, "the district cannot afford to keep all of its schools open without significant cuts elsewhere." This year PSD had to cut $12 million from its budget and nearly 140 teaching and other positions as a result of reduced state funding.

"The process will be open and transparent, with no preconceived outcomes," said Kevin Hahn, assistant superintendent of elementary education. "We are highly encouraging schoolwide innovation and community involvement in the development of these plans."

He suggested that community residents who want to help with the process call the principals of their area schools to volunteer.

Some schools have already held initial meetings. Lynette Salzman, principal of Irish Elementary, said about 200 people met on Sept. 23 and broke into focus groups. Groups will be formed to work on key themes.

"We are doing our best to make an organizational plan, keep school focused and 'normal' for our students and answer questions for our community while brainstorming plans for our future," Salzman said.

Hahn noted that both types of plans ask school communities to describe the educational benefits of their recommendations. School committees do not have to work out all of the cost ramifications, however.

"We want schools to focus on their plans, then the district will work on cost analyses," he said. For example, administrators will determine costs related to busing students to different schools.

Wilson and other administrators will further analyze the plans in late November and December. The schedule calls for the school board to receive recommendations in January. Board meetings are scheduled for Jan. 11 and 25.

Ellen Laubhan, communications director, noted that student enrollment in PSD has been flat for the past decade.

The process to identify under-utilized schools used several criteria, including use of capacity. The study identified schools using less than 65 percent of building capacity because of low enrollment. It also looked at what percentage of neighborhood students are choosing to attend a school outside the neighborhood area.

Following are some highlights of data collected for area schools. Enrollment figures were reported on Sept. 9.

• Irish Elementary: enrollment 324, capacity 450, choice-in 23 percent, choice-out 48 percent.
• CLP Elementary: enrollment 290, capacity 475, choice-in 20 percent, choice-out 26 percent.
• Stove Prairie Elementary: enrollment 50, capacity 100, choice-in 28 percent, choice-out 21 percent.
• Red Feather Lakes Elementary: enrollment 31, capacity 100, choice-in 20 percent, choice-out 15 percent.
• Livermore Elementary: enrollment 43, capacity 100, choice-in 14 percent, choice-out 30 percent.
• Lincoln Middle School: enrollment 480, capacity 765, choice-in 12 percent, choice-out 48 percent.

Details about the process to make schools more efficient are available online at www.psdschools.org. Viewers should click on the "underutilized schools" link.