Facility Utilization Process
PSD Facility Utilization Process Underway to Determine More Efficient Facility Use
and To Help Balance Enrollment Across All PSD Schools
PSD has developed a Facility Utilization Process  that will lead to recommendations for more efficient use of facilities and help balance enrollment across schools. Review the Superintendent's Sept. 22 Facility Utilization Update to the Board of Education here (34 KB) (34 KB) . PSD is studying efficient use of schools and ways to balance enrollment due to the following trends and situations occurring in our district:
§ PSD is growing slowly; some schools have more space available than in previous years;
§ Budget realities are requiring districts to look for more efficient ways to operate schools;
§ More space is available in PSD Kindergarten through grade 5 elementary schools; and
§ More families are exercising school choice. Imbalances in enrollment occur across the district, regardless of boundary/attendance areas, and PSD’s transportation system does not provide transportation to school choice students, creating inequities.
LATEST UPDATES:
Superintendent Announces Small High School Study, Asks Community to Take Part in Deliberation about Small Neighborhood Schools (UPDATED DEC. 8, 2009); Read Superintendent's Dec. 8 Report to Board of Education here
Feasibility Committee Studying Options, Gathering Input (UPDATED DEC. 1, 2009)
Nov. Information/Input Meetings Set at Schools Being Studied by Feasibility Committee (Nov. 3, 2009)
Elementary Student Count History By School, 1978-2008 (18 KB) (Nov. 4, 2009)
Superintendent Answers Parent Questions Regarding Facility Use Process (Oct. 6, 2009)
District Updates Board of Education on Reports, Next Steps in Process (Sept. 23, 2009)
Superintendent's Open Letter to Parents on PSD Facility Utilization Process (Sept. 22, 2009)
Superintendent's Sept. 22 Facility Utilization Process Update to Board of Education (Sept. 22, 2009)
Facility Planning Committee Final Report, with Appendix B Data (presented to Board of Education Sept. 22, 2009)
Zonal Bussing Feasibility Study: Transporting Students Using Zones (Sept. 2009)
Focus Groups on Closing, Repurposing, Combining Schools: Executive Summary (Conducted May 2009; Report July 2009)
Direct questions or input to: info@psdschools.org.
The Feasibility Committee's work is part of the Facility Utilization process , a continuation of PSD’s enrollment initiatives developed and approved in 2005 by the Board of Education to address uneven district enrollment patterns and efficient use of facilities. Each initiative below involved one or more committees comprised of a broad cross-section of PSD stakeholders, including staff, parents, and community members, and/or in-depth studies.
Progress to date includes:
· Boundary Changes – Zach boundaries changed in 2006; high school changes implemented fall 2009; elementary school boundary study beginning in 2009-10
· 2010 Mill Levy and Bond Issue Election – task force appointed to study feasibility in 2007; committee meeting monthly to plan for possible Mill/Bond in fall 2010
· Movement of Lab School for Creative Learning – locations under review
· Student-Based Budgeting – new district funding model adopted fall 2006
· Facilities Study – 10-year facilities master plan, school audit completed fall 2007
· Small Schools Study – completed 2007-08 school year
· Built 2 New Elementary Schools – built new elementary schools in Wellington (Rice, 2007) and Timnath (Bethke, 2008) high growth areas, utilizing 2000 bond issue funds
· Grade Level Changes – study began in 2006; implemented fall 2009
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