It was a tough call Tuesday. Here is what happened at Butler. Yes, we have now constructed a new middle school (which, by the way, many people said was not needed when we started it) and the old ECMS is available to the Butler kids beginning next year. There would be roughly 144 extra student stations available if we were moving middle school kids from Butler to the old ECMS. But, with the class size amendment, we can have more kids in a middle school classroom than an elementary class room, so that "extra space" is reduced by 4 bodies per available classrooms. Those number DO NOT include portables.
I want to do away with portables as soon as possible. Just my prejudice.
Give the historical growth patterns, we believed when we started on the new ECMS, that once we completed the new ECMS and allow Butler to take over the old ECMS we would have more than ample space, without portables, for the k-5 students.
Unfortunately, a trend started developing last year where the historical data just went out the window. Butler grew much faster beginning at the end of last school year and during this school year than we ever anticipated. In fact, faster than anyone anticipated. Also, for some reason, our special student education population grew quickly at Butler and Bay. Those kids often have be put in a classrom of less than ten kids, putting further pressure on the space down there. So, as I said at both the parent meeting and the board meeting, we got caught with our britches down.
We will fix the problem through construction eventually. Fortunately, we designed the new ECMS as a K-8 facility so that the "core facilities" the kitchen, office, media center, can accomodate a new elementary wing adjacent to the school. That will certainly speed up building those new classrooms.
One idea that has been floated for the future is to build the elementary school wing at the new ECMS site. Turn Butler and the new elementary wing into 2 - 5 centers and convert Bay into a Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st grade center.
The move of the 5th graders to the middle school will be, I believe, a stop gap measure to allow us to catch up. We will start the capital outlay budget cycle in June and I am sure, given what has happened in elementary grades in south Walton, we will dramtically change that plan. I trust that the administration and teachers at ECMS will do an excellent job at shielding and protecting the 5th graders from too much pain.
Thanks guys for the input.....
I want to do away with portables as soon as possible. Just my prejudice.
Give the historical growth patterns, we believed when we started on the new ECMS, that once we completed the new ECMS and allow Butler to take over the old ECMS we would have more than ample space, without portables, for the k-5 students.
Unfortunately, a trend started developing last year where the historical data just went out the window. Butler grew much faster beginning at the end of last school year and during this school year than we ever anticipated. In fact, faster than anyone anticipated. Also, for some reason, our special student education population grew quickly at Butler and Bay. Those kids often have be put in a classrom of less than ten kids, putting further pressure on the space down there. So, as I said at both the parent meeting and the board meeting, we got caught with our britches down.
We will fix the problem through construction eventually. Fortunately, we designed the new ECMS as a K-8 facility so that the "core facilities" the kitchen, office, media center, can accomodate a new elementary wing adjacent to the school. That will certainly speed up building those new classrooms.
One idea that has been floated for the future is to build the elementary school wing at the new ECMS site. Turn Butler and the new elementary wing into 2 - 5 centers and convert Bay into a Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st grade center.
The move of the 5th graders to the middle school will be, I believe, a stop gap measure to allow us to catch up. We will start the capital outlay budget cycle in June and I am sure, given what has happened in elementary grades in south Walton, we will dramtically change that plan. I trust that the administration and teachers at ECMS will do an excellent job at shielding and protecting the 5th graders from too much pain.
Thanks guys for the input.....
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