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Education
After School Board members voiced their approvals and/or concerns on the recommendation by the Primary Attendance Area Review Committee (PAAR) regarding potential K-3 classroom expansion to combat future growing pains, Superintendent Thomas Markle summarized the study’s intent and future consideration best.
Markle declared, “The community has asked us to look at this problem.” “We don’t expect the board to move forward on this without time passing, enrollment increasing and developments throughout the town being developed.”
At this time, there is no reason to consider build options when examining the following:
Class size
K-3 class sizes do not warrant build or expansion considerations. Numbers below includes Special Ed. and BOCES as of 12/23/05.
Central School – 245 students – 12 classrooms – 20.4 students/class
Como Park School – 371 students – 18 classrooms – 20.6 students/class
Court Street School – 448 students – 21 classrooms – 21.3 students/class
Hillview School – 419 students – 20 classrooms – 21.0 students/class
Sciole School – 418 students – 21 students/class
Enrollment
K-3 student enrollment is increasing at a much slower rate than several years ago when residential developments and building permits were much more numerous.
2001-2002 Beginning enrollment – 1693
2002-2003 Beginning enrollment – 1819 (Special Ed. now included)
2003-2004 Beginning enrollment - 1840
2004-2005 Beginning enrollment – 1845
2005-2006 Beginning enrollment – 1878
Enrollment as of 12/23/05 – 1901
2005-2006 projected enrollment – 1897 (very close to 1901 actual)
Since 2002, the entire school population (K-12) has increased by 147 students. The K-3 population increased by 82 students over the four-year period, an average of 20.5 students per year. Even if that average number increase were to take place, adding 2 children per class would take care of the increase and the resulting 23 children per class is much lower than the State's maximum class size mandate.
The district enrollment for K-3 for the beginning of the 2006 – 2007 school year is projected at 1,859, a decrease of 19 students.
The idea of a K-3 is incomprehensible considering the school districts own future projected enrollment:
2006 - 1859
2007 - 1812
2008 - 1734
2009 - 1477
2010 - 1270
2011 - 1062
However, a great deal of the enrollment projection is dependent on town growth.
Town Growth
From 1986 through 2002, the town was growing at an alarming rate; averaging 287 new builds per year. Some of the peak years were:
1988 – 483
1989 – 342
1992 – 402
1993 – 333
1994 – 338
2001 – 334
In the last three years, for varying reasons, residential growth has slowed:
2003 – 163
2004 – 118
2005 – 108
It is time for the town to place a building cap on the annual housing permits issued. This would not only allow the town the benefit of catching up with infrastructure needs, but allow the school district an opportunity to more accurately project future school enrollments and react accordingly.
At the same time, axpayers could expect to realize some relief from skyrocketing school and property taxes. Why aren’t the two boards meeting to achieve positive community interest results?
Closing a school
As School Board member Lorraine Bona asked, what are the chances the state would grant aid to a school district contemplating closing down a school to build a new one?
Especially when class sizes are far below state mandate requirements?
One has reason to question whether the intent behind the study is based on class size alone.
Tax increase
Considering many Lancaster residents experienced double-digit county, town and school taxes this past year, they will most likely be opposed to any tax increase for school expansion; this year or in future years unless there is sound evidence to indicate it is absolutely necessary.
School Board member Kenneth Graber favors the new build and declares, “money should not be a factor here.” Many town residents believe otherwise as they did in 2002.
In 2000, the Attendance Boundary Committee (ABC) was formed to respond to classroom overcrowding caused by a decade of uncontrolled residential development. After spending two years reviewing the same options as the PARR Committee, they conducted a townwide survey to determine which of two options would be acceptable to the residents.
Option A: (Est. cost > $10.3 million)
· Additions to existing Lancaster Middle School
· Additions to William Street School
· Additions to some of the elementary schools
Option B: (Est. cost > $20 million)
· Construct a new Middle School at William Street with some shared facilities
· Convert Lancaster Middle School into an elementary K-4 school, move the district office to Lancaster Middle School and lease other space if possible.
The district received a 13% response – 2,292 responses. Since each card had two responses per household, the district received 3,837 actual responses.
Fifty-four point seven (54.7) percent of the responses favored Option A. Thirty-nine (39) percent of the responses favored Option B. Six point two (6.2) favored neither.
In the survey responses of 2002, even residents who choose Option B (build new school) voiced the following concerns and opinions: uncontrolled growth (stop the building); fiscal irresponsibility (providing country club atmosphere; why aren’t tax revenues from new builds not covering school spending; taxed enough now; stop catering to land developers; should have built WSS bigger to begin with; should have done it right the last time, etc.
The School District and members of the PAAR Committee will have a difficult time selling school expansion projects to residents who have been experiencing skyrocketing property and school taxes. After the 7.75 percent contingency budget increase of 2005, do they honestly believe residents are going to approve a referendum to build a new school when they turned down such submittal in 2002 when economic conditions were better, taxes were lower and they were not enduring high energy and health care costs?
Other new build concerns
The district architect estimates the cost of the new build at $8 - $10 million. Many believe this to be a low-ball estimate.
Where will the new school be located and who will go there? The school district owns land on Brunck Road, Walden Avenue, Westwood Road and Siebert Road. Will parents whose child (ren) will not benefit from the new build be willing to support this recommendation?
As Superintendent Markle declared a lot of things would have to happen before residents would be willing to part with more money; especially when K-3 class sizes average 21 students and the enrollment projection for 2006-2007 is less than 2005-2006.
Where there’s smoke there’s fire. The PAAR committee didn’t meet because they had nothing better to do. Markle had declared, “The community has asked us to look at this problem.” Who in the community asked for this review and was the PAAR committee aptly represented by a cross-section of district residents.
© Copyright 2008 by Speakupwny.com
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