Giving the Community Options
At last night’s Board of Education meeting I outlined several options for the future grade configuration. The presentation can be found on the district homepage. I have tried very hard to devise a way for the community to have input without abrogating the legal authority of the Board. To that end I have presented two different bond proposals. One bond addresses two different North-South configurations and the other bond addresses a full cluster option that closes 3 buildings. The board will have to choose which bond they want to pursue. Bond 1 calls for an extension on Jackson avenue that will enable the 3, 4, and 5th grade to occupy Jackson Ave thereby keeping the Middle School and High school the same. In addition that bond will have a contingent option. A contingent bond allows the public to expand the bond IF the first part passes. In bond one, the contingent option would ask for a 4 classroom extension on Hampton thereby changing the Pre-K-2 south school to Hampton rather than Willis. The additional work on Hampton cannot happen if the first part (work on Jackson) doesn’t pass. Bond 2 calls for closing three buildings in a full cluster model. The work involves an 8 classroom extension on Jackson Avenue as well as creating 14 classrooms on the second floor of Willis Avenue and a roof top playground. I am still awaiting a legal opinion on whether I can offer a contingent proposal on this bond. As I stated last night, everyone has an opinion on the way the district should be configured, these bond proposals allow the community to voice their opinions. Once the board makes the decision on which bond to put forward, voters will have the option to say yes or no. At the July 22 Board of Education meeting (please note the date change), at the high school, I will be presenting all of the facts and information for each option.
I will blog about it the following day
I am happy to learn that you will be meeting with the principals of the buildings in question to study the new configurations. Since we, the CCC, were surpirsed that the numbers we were told would fit at Hampton will not, it negated the “without construction” option we presented to the board and the public. Frankly, I was a bit embarrassed that it turned out not to be a valid option and the committee was responsible for presenting a bogus scenario after five weeks of deliberation.
The future configurations definitely need the input of the Principals, and I feel all of them should have been at the CCC meetings. While it may appear that the homerooms are available for example, at Meadow Drive to accommodate Pre-K – 2, it may not be possible to additionally hold the entire support staff required by this enrollment figure, i.e., ESL, Speech, AIS, Sp. Ed. etc.
I have no children in the district, and I live in the Jackson Ave area. Therefore I am thinking of this only with a total district viewpoint.
In order to be as familiar with the Meadow Drive floor plan as I am with the Hampton Street floor plan, I took myself over to Meadow Drive. I would have hoped the committee could meet once in each building to see first hand what is needed and eliminate the guess work. Pre-K -12 looks pretty tight, if not, very tight. I am not convinced that the support services will actually fit well, if at all. This doesn’t make me feel like there is any room for future population increases with no room to spare.
As you have stated many times, this is our opportunity to create a long-term and final reconfigurations. This requires very careful scrutiny and input from the people who know the buildings’ functionality the best…the principals. I hope that the committe and the principals can meet together to be certain that what is decided will actually have a chance to succeed. If that cannot happen, I hope that you and the principals will actually walk through each building while classes are in session to see what will and will not fit before any final decisions are made.
It is my desire that this district create for the new students and families the many good memories I have here in Mineola.
I don’t know if you can answer this, but after the July 22 BOE meeting, when will the community know the decision of the Board?