School plans narrowed to four options

Matt Bower
Posted 5/21/15

Following the last workshop meeting between the School Committee and Symmes Maini & McKee Associates (SMMA), the firm hired by the committee to develop a long-term educational and facilities master …

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School plans narrowed to four options

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Following the last workshop meeting between the School Committee and Symmes Maini & McKee Associates (SMMA), the firm hired by the committee to develop a long-term educational and facilities master plan for the district, there were eight master plan options under consideration.

During Monday’s workshop, the third of four planned such meetings, those eight options were narrowed down to four, as the two sides continue to work toward determining how best to move the district forward in the face of declining enrollment, excess building capacity and financial constraints.

Those eight options included: asset, health and safety protection, or the repairs and upgrades necessary to protect the building assets and meet government regulations but with no educational improvements; consolidation of secondary schools; consolidation of elementary schools; consolidation of both secondary and elementary schools; creation of a middle school (grades 6-8) and two magnet high schools with ninth grade academies; creation of a broadband middle school (grades 5-8) and two magnet high schools with ninth grade academies; creation of three two-school campuses (middle and high), incorporating grade 6 and the reorganization of secondary schools to magnet schools with ninth grade academies; and creation of two new “super schools” (middle and high).

REDUCING MASTER PLANS

In considering the options, SMMA senior vice president Ed Frenette said, “You don’t need to tackle everything at once, so let’s eliminate some options.”

Frenette said consolidation at the elementary level and the creation of middle schools and magnet schools can or cannot be part of all master plan alternatives.

“The big issue is excess capacity and what’s happening at the secondary schools,” he said. “Don’t argue about enrichment and parity, but let’s focus on excess capacity.”

Frenette suggested setting the asset, health and safety protection as the base level of options, saying “don’t go below that.”

“If money were water and you could spend anything, let’s keep the two super schools as an option,” he continued, saying that would be the ceiling or the “pie in the sky” option.

“Nine times out of 10, it will be cheaper to improve what you already have versus building something new,” he said.

Frenette then suggested keeping as options the creation of two middle schools and two magnet high schools with ninth grade academies and the creation of three two-school campuses (middle and high), incorporate grade 6 and the reorganization of secondary schools to magnet schools with ninth grade academies.

In the latter option, Frenette said the campuses would be roughly in the same place as the current high schools and each campus would feature a middle school and a high school, with separate buses, building entrances, gyms, library/media centers, lunch rooms, and hopefully one kitchen to share.

“Students would be separated from the time they leave their houses,” he said.

Although the numbers aren’t yet in, Frenette said he believes the costs will be similar with each option. He also said the existing curriculum will be maintained in whichever master plan is selected.

“If there’s a 10 to 15 percent difference, I would do what’s the best option,” he said. “If it’s 20 to 30 percent difference, then it’s probably not worth it.”

Taking into account the Warwick Area Career and Technical Center (WACTC), Frenette said in either of the middle two options, secondary schools would be consolidated from seven to five buildings.

“We’ve assessed 26 facilities and the goal is to have crystal clear implications on all four master plan options under consideration,” he said. “After that, we’ll look at the data and see what happens if you also were to consolidate elementary schools, but you need to consider secondary first.”

Frenette said the main reason to consolidate at the secondary level first is so students don’t have to live through the consolidation process twice.

“Do it on a phased in basis,” he said. “You could do secondary the first year, then elementary the second year, or you could take a year break in between to digest it. I would never recommend doing K through 12 consolidation all at once.”

One resident said current sophomores have already been through consolidation at the elementary level and should be allowed to finish their high school career without further consolidation. She suggested moving the sixth grade up to the junior highs to create middle schools and implementing full-day Kindergarten in the elementary schools before consolidating at the secondary level.

Frenette said consolidation decisions can be based on where kids are, not the condition of buildings, “which is a good thing because that supports neighborhoods.”

FACILITY ASSESSMENTS

In addition to narrowing down the master plan options, SMMA provided a preliminary report on the facility assessment findings.

SMMA architect Ed Bourget spoke about the facility assessments.

“We had a team of architects and engineers go through the buildings over a three-week period that looked at electrical systems, fire systems, lighting, ventilation, and plumbing,” among other areas, he said. “We categorized them by must repair, which are the things that require immediate attention; should repair, which are things that should be taken care of in three to five years; could repair, which are things that can be addressed in 10 years; and adequate, which are things that are functioning well.”

Bourget said the team put together administrative reports and gave each building a rating. While it won’t necessarily drive the end result, he said it’s one factor in the decision.

“We saw a lot of patterns. The buildings are old, but they’re well maintained, clean, and functioning as well as can be,” he said. “Similar problems were seen over and over, things repeat themselves. Ventilation is a big issue.”

Bourget said Gorton and Aldrich junior high schools stuck out in his mind.

“They aren’t different in unit cost, but the deficiencies are a priority at both,” he said. “Something has to happen one way or another. I’ve spoken to David LaPlante [director of buildings and grounds] about it.”

Frenette said on average, the high school buildings are in the best shape and have been the best maintained.

“The high schools have a fair amount of land, so adding things like parking or new entrances is doable,” he said.

Frenette described the high schools as “gangly buildings.”

“A gangly building means it’s easy to sub-divide and chop into pieces for junior high additions,” he said.

MAGNET SCHOOLS

Shifting the discussion back to magnet schools, which are schools that attract students from across the city by offering programs with a specific focus, such as environmental learning, arts and humanities, STEM [science, technology, engineering and math], or business administration/economics, some expressed concerns with such a model.

One person asked if it was a viable option, considering Warwick’s population, while another feared with so many magnet programs available to students, advanced placement and college preparatory programs might suffer and not generate enough numbers.

Frenette said magnet schools for Warwick are viable, and has previously described Toll Gate as a magnet high school because of the WACTC on its campus.

“Magnet schools are done for two reasons; to go more in depth in a subject and to provide more relevance to students,” he said. “It’s rethinking how you use existing facilities and it’s short dollars, not a big cost.”

Frenette said magnet schools could have one program focus or multiple, depending on which direction the district wants to go.

PROPERTY VALUES

One resident who was concerned about consolidation said he Googled what happens to property values when a school closes and said they drop by 10 percent.

“If we bring up the instructional delivery in our system, schools will be viewed at a higher level and their status will be viewed as better schools and it will draw more people to the city and school system, thereby increasing property value,” School Committee Chairwoman Jennifer Ahearn said in response.

Frenette said if schools are well maintained and well run at a high level, then property values will stabilize and improve.

One resident said she was thrilled SMMA was hired to study the district because they can provide a perspective from someone outside Warwick, R.I.

“We care and are emotional about our kids, but we’re doing a disservice to students if we don’t listen [to SMMA] and open our minds to what they’re telling us,” she said. “Taxes and education rely on us building better schools, and I don’t necessarily mean physically building new schools. We’re questioning things that are being done everywhere else.”

Frenette said he would consider it a complete failure if the four options weren’t narrowed down to two at the next workshop meeting, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27 in the cafeteria at Toll Gate High School.

“This is not supposed to be easy. It’s hard, passionate, thought out and supposed to make you give your best. That’s why we’re here tonight,” he said.

Ahearn said after the options are narrowed from four to two, the School Committee would make a selection in June.

“I’m hoping to have a week turn around after we get it down to two options,” she said.

The School Committee’s next public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Pilgrim High School auditorium on Tuesday, May 26. SMMA is scheduled to give a presentation and the public will have an opportunity to comment.

Comments

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  • smh

    "Frenette then suggested keeping as options the creation of two middle schools and two magnet high schools with ninth grade academies and the creation of three two-school campuses (middle and high), incorporate grade 6 and the reorganization of secondary schools to magnet schools with ninth grade academies." ~~ Has this not been the plan all along?? I remember reading about this very thing some 8 years ago? How much money has been paid to this company for them to say the very same thing as this inept School Committee and Administration?

    "Frenette said consolidation decisions can be based on where kids are, not the condition of buildings, “which is a good thing because that supports neighborhoods.”" ~~ Sure, let's keep the kids together in unsfe conditions...Makes total sense...

    “We saw a lot of patterns. The buildings are old, but they’re well maintained, clean, and functioning as well as can be,” he said. “Similar problems were seen over and over, things repeat themselves. Ventilation is a big issue.” ~ isn't that what WISE (in part) is for? Building Maintenance? Why are these schools in such terrible physical condition??? Where does the money go?

    "Shifting the discussion back to magnet schools, which are schools that attract students from across the city by offering programs with a specific focus, such as environmental learning, arts and humanities, STEM [science, technology, engineering and math], or business administration/economics, some expressed concerns with such a model." ~~ Or, in other words, the way schools used to be ~ before all the quality programs were cut...What the???

    "“If we bring up the instructional delivery in our system, schools will be viewed at a higher level and their status will be viewed as better schools and it will draw more people to the city and school system, thereby increasing property value,” School Committee Chairwoman Jennifer Ahearn said in response." ~~ See above point.... How 'bout STOP SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY ON BOMBASTIC INEPTITUDE & PUT THE MONIES BACK INTO REAL EDUCATION? GET RID OF SURPLUS ADMINISTRATION AND GIVE SUPPLIES AND FREEDOM BACK TO THE TEACHERS TO TEACH IN THE WAY MS. AHEARN ALLUDED TO!

    "Frenette said if schools are well maintained and well run at a high level, then property values will stabilize and improve." ~~ Again, even if brand new, pristine physical plants were built, it would only be a short matter of time before they fell into disrepair as the WISE members do not do their jobs!

    "Ahearn said after the options are narrowed from four to two, the School Committee would make a selection in June." ~~ In other words, THIS IS ALL FOR SHOW B/C THE DECISION WAS MADE LONG AGO & when the SC makes it's "selection" in June none of us will be surprised...What a travesty.

    Friday, May 22, 2015 Report this

  • markyc

    It seems to me this consultant has already made the 2 choices. Of the final 4 "choices" the first choice is basically keeping the current status quo; too many buildings to maintain resulting in educational program cuts. The "Super School" "choice" is one Warwick can't afford; so WHY BOTHER to include it/either?

    Of the 2 remaining choices: 3 middle schools/3 high schools-I don't see how you can keep the upper grades(9-12) separate from the lower ones(6-8); if parents/teachers don't want their 6th grade children possibly mingling with 7th & 8th graders, how would they like the possibility of their 6th/7th graders coming in proximity with 11th/12th graders? Cost wise it may be cheaper, but I see problems with this model.

    How about this: hold off on the middle school model(at least temporarily). It seems the 2 high school/junior high(middle) school model is the CHOICE. Decide which schools will be closed(Probably the plan chosen by the Long Term Committee over a year & a half ago). The elementary schools appear to have adequate space to phase in all day kindergarten district wide & keep 6th grade students at those locations. Keep the junior high set up; the City will probably need to close Aldrich & Gorton as expected due to building maintenance costs & renovate Warwick Veterans to become a junior high with Pilgrim & Toll Gate as the City's high schools. Capacity should be adequate. This will also allow time to determine if a middle school model(grades 6-8) is desired/more efficient & to decide which elementary schools will/should be closed. Any requirements regarding middle school certification of teachers can be made during this process/time period. I would expect the first part of this can be accomplished/planned for the 2016-2017 school year. The second part(deciding about middle school models/elementary school closings) can be accomplished during the 2018-2019 or 2019-2020 school year. This allows some flexibility & if done properly should allow for some cost savings.

    Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Report this