Editor's Note: This is a live update, and as such is pretty messy and not proofread. One thing to note, however, is that they never formally went from A - B - C - D, so in writing this up, it all got stuck under the topic of "A. Philosophy on Size of High School(s)". Sorry, it got kind of muddled. 

Board Member Dr. Andy Newton discusses options with Dr. Joan Fleming

Item No. 2: Opening Ceremony

Item No. 3: Approval of Agenda

All approved. New board member Tina Seely in attendance.

Item No. 4:Work/Study Session Regarding High School Options

A. Philosophy on Size of High School(s) 

Dr. Newton reviewed the projections. "We've got to look at how many students we can put on the current site. I would say that if it exceeds about 2500 students, you'll probably not be able to put them there. I don't know that 2300 students is an unreasonable amount to plan for."

Tom Staley, Board member agrees that this is a relevant question.

Dee Navarro, Board President thinks the question is whether they want a school the size of 2300 students. She said that she thinks it is too big. "We need to decide what is too big."

Campbell said that he has been intrigued with the idea of two schools, but economically, he's not sure it's feasible. "I'm thinking that the growth is not going to be quite as robust as expected, and we should maybe plan for 2300. I don't know that in the current climate we could pass a bond to do 2 high schools."

Campbell is thinking that the current property would be one, and then build another, but doesn't think they will have the  support to do it.

Staley thinks that they wouldn't have to do too much more to the current facilities.

"There's another group that's not so vocal that doesn't think that the Pioneer property is on the outskirts of town."

"Wherever you go, you set off a bunch of high dominoes - a whole new principal, new vice principal..."

Asked the PHS principal, Totsy McCraley, what she thinks, and she notes that she has been an administrator in a building on 15 acres, and also one in a school on 80 acres.

"I think the great size for a high school is around 1600 or 1700 students is better."

McCraley notes that 2300 is manageable, but it's not the best for education. "Whatever you have to do, as far as your district is concerned, you can do, you just have to make sure you have the staffing."

McCraley thinks that currently PHS is understaffed as far as security and would like 2 more full time security staff, and would also like another vice principal.

If there were two schools, would it be a necessity to draw boundaries? Yes, there would be priorities according to boundaries.

McCraley noted that usually when you start a new high school, you start with just the freshmen and sophomore classes.

Fleming said that ideally, you could put Northpoint at the current PHS facilities along with PEAK, and administrative district offices. Then Fleming said you could sell the current district offices on Granite Street and use the Dexter facilities for early childhood education.

Dr. Newton said he gets a strong sense from the public that they would prefer to keep PHS at the current facilities. 

Campbell said that they could put Northpoint in a new facility at the north end of town. 

Campbell thinks that it would be best to come up with two or three scenarios and see what they want.

Dee Navarro said that she has no idea of what to do, she is sitting on the fence.

Dr. Newton pointed out the three alternatives he sees:

1. Reconfigure PHS to accommodate growth and keep it where it is. Northpoint, somewhere else.

2. Shrink PHS for the high school and put some students in a separate campus. Northpoint would move with one of the other campuses.

3. Build a whole new campus for PHS.

Staley notes that voting to keep the PHS campus was mainly to keep that piece of property in the portfolio.

His preference of the three alternatives is to move PHS to a new high school facility and then move Northpoint, District Offices and Peak to the PHS campus.

Chloe Glenn thinks that the biggest thing is to have smaller class sizes, wherever they build. "Make the learning environment as accessible as possible."

Navarro asked if Glenn thinks that they need to do something about the number of students in the classroom.

Navarro asked McCraley for her 'druthers', "Because I've been a teacher as well as an administrator in both environments, I know that you can make whatever environment you're given work. I know that it's much easier as an administrator to have all your kids in one place. If you had your druthers any school administrator would prefer that  you had enough space for classrooms, parking... I understand the value of having a school in the immediate area where you feel comfortable... We'll do whatever it is that you all decide you want to do to make it work."

Navarro asked if they kept the current campus, would they be able to close the campus? McCraley said yes, but would need somebody at a gate and the fence. Part of closing campus is for security, and you want to make sure that people coming in are checked too.

Dr. Newton said that he thinks that closing a campus is a ridiculous idea anyway. He said it was a parental decision, not an administrative one.

Dr. Campbell thinks that the three scenarios need to be presented. Even though he thinks that moving the school to the north of town is a fantastic idea, if they can't pass the bond, it doesn't matter. "Ultimately we have to feel completely comfortable where our community is."

Staley thinks they should move the campus somewhere else. At some point in time as a board, "we're going to have to say, we're going down this path and either you're for us or against us. And if you're against us, you're against the kids in this town."

"I think we have a very vocal minority who wants to keep the high school there... but we can't put any more kids at that high school."

Kevin Kapp notes that when you look at the numbers, the school has only grown about 1% per year. "I just don't know if the growth is there to warrant the direction we're heading."

Kapp said that he could see why it seems like it is far out of town. "I have concerns over a the economics of trying to run two small high schools, and b) whether we want two small high schools of only 1100 each."

Dee Navarro notes that  if student achievement or student learning is being affected by how many students are in the classrooms, something has to be done about it now.

"We have got to think about the students, too," Navarro said. "At some point we have to talk about do we want small classes or bigger classes."

Newton notes that no matter what the state gives for building, it's never enough and it will always need a bond.

Kevin Kapp thinks that now that the JTED has passed in all seven districts, there may be more options.

Joan thinks that they can get a bond passed, but it will take a lot of effort. She notes how hard the JTED people worked to get it passed, and gave credit to their efforts.

Staley points out the other option that is to build for Northpoint & Peak and the district offices. 

"At some point in time we have to say what is going to happen... We've already put $5.7 million into the PHS facility..." Staley said.

Dr. Newton likes the idea of putting some scenarios out and letting the folks indicate their preference.

"When is the time to say, "Ok this is what we're going to do?" Navarro asked.

Newton said, "I think it's the time to say to the community and see what they think about keeping PHS where it is."

Campbell said, "How do we get the clear picture of what the public really wants?"

Newton said he thinks that surveys have become a scientific instument and thinks they need to do it properly.

Fleming said, "To do this and do it well, it's going to cost some money."

"Yes it will, and it's cheap... compared to $50.5 million." said Newton.

Staley thinks that this survey won't be that difficult to answer. But he wonders, "...is it really the majority or is it what's best for our kids?"

"If we're voting out of sentiment, I don't think that's right," Staley said.

"We need to get to all the voters,"Navarro said.

Staley doens't seem to want to pay $40k on a survey. "In this case, I think the Board can up with some alternatives.."

Campbell thinks that they can know what to ask by December, and send it out in January. He thinks they could come to the decision by March or so.

The trouble with email, you can hit that site 40 times. 

"You need somebody to help you with this." repeated Newton.

"I agree" said Navarro.

Kapp notes that it is about $300o a pop to mail it.

Navarro thinks they are not qualified to word the questions.

Campbell says that once the three scenarios are established, they need to know how much each will cost.

Navarro asked if the three scenarios would require land acquisitions. Campbell said it would have to.

They all agree that they are going to need to purchase land somewhere.

"This is much more of a question of what we need for our students, not the economy," Staley said.

Kapp said they could try to summarize the options for a survey, and agreed that they need help, in order to get good data back.

Kapp said he thinks he can find someone professional who does surveys.

Kapp said that one thing he does know about surveys is that you cannot use tax money for it ask if they would support a bond, and so it would be wise to get legal advice.

They think that the survey can be returned by March. 

Dr. Newton said to ask if the experts will analyze the results.

B. Options for Future Direction

C. Land Site Acquisition

D. Bond Issue

E. Timeline

Item No. 5: Consider moving into Executive Session...

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