Introduction
Although the Growth and Capital Needs Committee finished its work in mid-2016, their work is a key part of the decision-making process for the 2016 Bond Initiative. These documents and findings are included here for reference and will remain until the bond project is complete.
Overview
The GCNC, a 40-member committee representing individuals from across the district, met three times during the 2015 ‐2016 school year. Using the collaborative input model, the group learned about and researched five specific district needs: new construction, per pupil school improvement dollars, capital renewal/improvement, remodels and additions, and district infrastructure technology needs.
During their time together, the GCNC members also heard presentations regarding bonds, local real estate development, and long-range district capital expenditures. The committee also heard presentations from each school and district department regarding use of per pupil school improvement dollars.
On May 16, 2016, the GCNC presented its recommendations via a report the work of the GCNC as they sought to address their charge, delineated specifically in the attached report which begins on page 4 of this document.
The superintendent received the recommendations from the committee.
Only the Academy District 20 Board of Education can declare, by passing a resolution, that the district will have a ballot question for a bond for November 2016.
The GCNC is reviewing a Long-Range Capital Expenditure document developed in 2007 by a committee with the same membership composition. That document has recommendations the committee can affirm, modify, or disregard.
Committee Membership - 29 members and 11 ad hoc members:
Co-facilitators, deputy superintendent and chief financial officer;
Three principals (elementary, middle, and high);
Two charter school representatives;
Eight parents who are not District 20 staff members (four elementary and four secondary);
Three teachers (one elementary, one middle, and one high);
Three patrons at large (those who do not have children attending any District 20 schools);
Three classified staff members (one school-based; one non-school based; and one classified administrator);
Three students (currently sophomore or juniors); and,
Three representatives who are developers, business leaders, community leaders, or architects who live or work in District 20.
Attendance of members was exemplary, and many members look forward to joining any teams that will be formed next year to support the next step in a bond decision-making process.
The committee held meetings from October, 2015 – May, 2016. Agendas and minutes from the meetings are posted to the District 20 website as are all documents that serve as appendices to the full report from the GCNC.
GCNC Collaborative Input Model for decision making and meeting protocol: The District 20 Collaborative Input Model and norms established at our first meeting guided our work. The inclusion of input from all stakeholders was crucial to the committee. Therefore, we often shared updates of our work and pending recommendations with different groups. The complete report delineates the specific opportunities provided for community member updates and feedback.
Recommendations for New Construction:
Based on reports from local developers, demographers, and a tour of new construction sites on April 23, 2016, the GCNC recommends that the district is in need of the following additional schools in order to accommodate enrollment growth in District 20.
Two or three elementary schools
One middle school
One high school
An Innovation and Learning Center
Recommendations for Facility Additions and Remodels:
Each school and department presented capital needs to the GCNC. In general, projects were categorized as either major remodels/additions to the school and/or grounds or nonstructural projects that would update, add, enhance, or improve the learning environment for students. The focus of Facility Additions and Remodels is on the former. Following a forced matrix process, the top 26 priorities were determined by the GCNC; specific results are delineated in the full report attached.
Recommendations for Per Pupil School Improvement Dollars
Per Pupil School Improvement Dollars represents a funding mechanism by which capital funding is provided to each school within the district through a formula. Each school principal convened a committee of stakeholders who best reflect his/her community. Typically, school committees were comprised of 6-10 members and represented parents, teachers, staff, non-parent community members, school administration, and, in the case, of high schools, students were included. Each School Site Improvement Committee (SSIC) identified capital needs of the school facility and grounds and then presented these needs in the form of prioritized capital projects to the Growth and Capital Needs Committee (GCNC). In general, projects were categorized as either major remodels/additions to the school and/or grounds or nonstructural projects that would update, add, enhance, or improve the learning environment for students. The focus of Per Pupil School Improvement Dollars is on the latter. As such, the committee recommends the following fairness formula for the distribution of Per Pupil School Improvement Dollars: (Specific age factors for each school are included in the full report.)
School Allocation = [0.5 * (enrollment * $/Pupil) + 0.5 * (Sq. Ft. * $/Sq Ft)] * Age Factor 2
Recommendations for Capital Renewal/Improvements
The GCNC agreed with many of the recommendations made by the 2007 Growth and Capital Needs Committee in this area as this is the category that addresses the needs that are cost prohibitive to schools as they would fall outside of the Per Pupil School Improvement Dollars. The highest priority for the GCNC is that all schools need to have equal and equitable basic resources such as electrical, air conditioning, bathrooms, and safety issues met to the same levels. The GCNC also recommends that the district consider a scheduled maintenance plan as well as an every-five-year external audit of facilities to support needs in this area, particularly for the oldest of District 20 schools.
Recommendations for District Infrastructure Technology Needs
Technology infrastructure projects are defined as projects that will have district-wide impact on increasing throughput by which data is sent and received, enhancing safe access to information by students and staff, increasing data security, equalizing student access to information across the district, and allowing all students and staff to be more productive learners and workers. The GCNC believes that district infrastructure is important as it impacts all kids and all teachers, and they understand that the infrastructure is a good expenditure of bond dollars because it does not need continual updates as would such things as technological gadgets that require constant updating. Specific projects that need attention are delineated in priority order in the attached full report.