Why is the district engaging in a STUDY of facilities?
Save the dates: November 4, 14, and 16
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Oak Creek has a history of proactive planning to meet the facility needs of the community which includes a strong commitment to providing facilities for our children to learn successfully. After ten years of “PLAN”and two years of “DO” this school district opened Forest Ridge Elementary and the Ninth Grade Center at OCHS! We know from our commitment to Continuous Improvement that next we must “STUDY” our current facility situation and then “ACT” on what we need to do next to get better.
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Why? Because to achieve our overarching vision of “working together to build successful futures” we must provide clean, orderly, safe, cost-effective, and instructionally supportive school environments contributing to our mission of educating every child, every day to meet the intellectual, physical, and emotional demands of the 21st century.
This study will be a comprehensive analysis taking into consideration enrollments, capacities, the educational framework and vision, as well as finances. The goals are to:
- Assure we have plans in place to address projected growth in the district.
- Provide schools greater choices in learning opportunities to meet the needs of our students.
- Modernize schools’ physical environments to bring all schools to equitable standards - with each other, and our key competitors.
In June, the School Board selected Nexus Solutions to help lead this process. Over the next few months Nexus will be assessing the following areas:
- Educational Adequacy and Equity
- Mechanical / Electrical / Technology / Heating / Cooling Systems
- Deferred Maintenance Needs
- Energy & Water Conservation / Operations Savings Opportunities
- Safety / Security
- Arts and Athletic Facilities including fields and other outdoor spaces
Furthermore, Nexus will:
- Evaluate the existing capital improvement projects lists (planned or deferred maintenance) and provide a prioritized list of project options
- Conduct a thorough energy, operational, and financial analysis of the District.
- Complete a detailed facility audit and prepare cost estimates.
This study must be done with a great deal of input from many stakeholders across the community. One way we will do this is by holding some initial community-wide listening sessions:
- Saturday, November 4 at 10 a.m. at the District Office, 7630 South 10th Street
- Tuesday, November 14 at 10 a.m. at the Oak Creek Public Library (Drexel Town Square)
- Thursday, November 16 at 6 p.m. at the Oak Creek High School Cafeteria
Please save these dates, share them with others. More information will follow. If you can’t attend one of these sessions, nearer to the dates, we will post a way for you to share your feedback.
Near the end of January 2018, the School Board will make a preliminary review of comprehensive facility needs based on the study. Then comes another opportunity for community engagement as we make decisions on what actions to take towards a ten year facility master plan.
In addition to gathering ideas during listening sessions, we want to identify those of you who may wish to volunteer to take a deeper dive into the initial results and help provide further feedback to guide the School Board in making tough decisions about directions for a new Master Facilities Plan. There will be a ‘Facility Planning Committee’ established that will spend time in January, February, and March in a “deeper dive / prioritization” process.
We also plan to do some additional surveys at that point to gain clarity from the community on what you want for the future of your schools. The Facility Planning Committee members will include city government officials, parents, business leaders, employees, students, administration and School Board representation. This Committee will recommend the next act and new plan to the Board of Education before the end of this school year.
In many ways, this process is as important as the outcome. The process of formulating a master plan establishes a forum through which interested parties have a chance to voice their opinions about the future of the school district. This opportunity, and the dialogue (and even debate) that ensues, is an effective way of infusing fresh ideas and new perspectives into the future of our schools and the futures of our students. We will aim for an atmosphere of respectful decision-making which fosters staff and community support for the decisions being made about the future direction and steps that must be taken to achieve these improvements to our schools.
What do YOU see in our future? Please join us November 4, 14, or 16 to share your vision and help us create a shared vision guiding your public schools for the next ten years.
Thank you for supporting your public schools!
Tim Culver
Superintendent
