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Several dozen members of the public turned out Wednesday evening for the Council Rock School Board’s first ad hoc Master Capital Planning Committee meeting.
The two-and-a-half-hour meeting covered a variety of information and focused on putting together a plan that Superintendent Dr. Robert Fraser said would be “thorough and inclusive.”
The district is looking at consolidation and redistricting. Over the past several years, the district has investigated at the issue and is continuing to do so while involving the public.
The Council Rock School District is working to fight rising costs and declining enrollment that makes facilities less efficient.
During a presentation, Fraser said enrollment has shrunk from a peak of 12,596 during the 2006-2007 school year to just over 11,000 this year, a loss of roughly 1,500 students. The drop in enrollment is causing unused spaces in some schools and making them less efficient.
As a result of declining enrollment, the district went from using 53 modular classrooms (44 were for students) a few years back to none in use today, Fraser said.
The data is being used as the school board looks to shutter at least one elementary school in the coming years and close Richboro Middle School.
While no decisions have been made on what elementary schools will close, the district is taking a look different options. Director of Operations Doug Taylor said many of the buildings are in good shape and have recently seen improvements, but some buildings are aging and will need expensive repairs.
Fraser said the new building footprint of the district and full redistricting will be completed before the first day of school in September 2018. He said school board votes on major decisions will likely be on a “fluid and flexible” schedule. Officials have pledged before to keep the community abreast of discussions and votes.
Redistricting will be necessary as Council Rock’s student population changes and the new Newtown Middle School and upgraded Holland Middle School open for the 2018-2019 school year.
“We want to only redistrict students once, and we will indeed only redistrict students once,” Fraser said.
As redistricting approaches, stakeholders from all of the district’s schools will have input, Fraser said.
The district also is eying implementing a “targeted” full-day kindergarten program that would be based in select schools. He said the program would screen potential students and be targeted for them.
Fraser suggested to the committee that they should hire a consultant to study the district to help them plan. He recommended a New Jersey-based consultant George Sundell, who charges $22,000.
The majority of the residents who spoke during public comment were against consideration of the potentially closing Rolling Hills Elementary School in Northampton.
The upcoming committee meetings are scheduled for Monday, March 6; Thursday, March 30; Monday, April 24; and Monday, May 22. The meetings will be held at 7 p.m. at the Chancellor Center at 30 N. Chancellor St. in Newtown Borough.
