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.
To achieve our overarching vision of “building
successful futures together” 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.
The 10 Year Facility Study completed in May
2018 provides the School Board and community with a comprehensive analysis
taking into consideration enrollments, capacities, the educational framework,
vision, and cost. The goals have been 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 2017, after a competitive bidding
process, the School Board selected Nexus Solutions to help lead this study.
Since that time Nexus staff and Plunkett Raysich Architects (PRA) have
assessed 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
This 10 Year Facility Study has been done
with a great deal of input from many stakeholders across the community.
There were initial community-wide listening sessions on November 4,
November 14 and November 16, 2017. Then
throughout the winter, there were additional surveys and focus groups to gain
clarity from the employee groups and other stakeholders on what we want for the
future of our schools. These multiple opportunities and the dialogue (and
even debate) ensured an effective way of
infusing fresh ideas and new perspectives into the future of our schools and
the futures of our students.
As we began to formulate specifics in the spring, we
attempted to gather information on perspectives from as many of our
stakeholders as possible so your School Board could make decisions about
approving a 10-year facility plan that meets the needs of the community.
All community members have been encouraged to join our email list to receive updates
directly to their email inbox. Hundreds more have done so. May 30
and June 5 we scheduled face to face opportunities for community engagement
sessions to discern what the community may want for the future of their public
schools. Several hundred community members participated and several hundred
more voiced their opinions in another online survey.
A firm was contracted to survey, in a statistically valid
manner, a random sample of the Oak Creek and Franklin communities. These
results were reported to the community and School Board on June 26, 2018, Board
Special Board meeting & Work Study.
The School Board held additional meetings to share with the community
and process all the project options provided by the Nexus and Plunkett Raysich
on July 16, 2018, Board Work Study and July 30, 2018, Board Work Study.
The list of needs started at over $100 Million, but after
much community input and tough discussions with school principals and the
School Board, the total of recommended projects was whittled down to $60.9 Million, which equals an estimated annual tax
increase of $118 per year (or $9.81 per month) on a $225,000 home. It meets the
needs of students and addresses many long-term facility needs:
- Providing students with greater learning opportunities
- Modernizing schools’ physical environments to bring all schools to equitable standards - with each other and our key competitors.
- Significantly catching up on the backlog of deferred maintenance projects
- Improving the safety and security of our schools
- Assuring property values by maintaining a high-quality school system
On August 13, 2018, the Board of Education moved to approve a Referendum Election on the approval
of bonds in an amount not to exceed $60,935,000. This referendum to the
community will be on the November 6, 2018 ballot. If approved by the community
this would equal an estimated annual tax increase of $118 per year (or $9.81
per month) on a $225,000 home. The plan presented to voters in November
reflects a thoughtful balance of fiscal responsibility for taxpayers while
meeting the needs of students and addressing many long-term facility needs.
Does our community agree?
There will be more information to come and
several other opportunities for the community to learn more about the
referendum before casting their vote on November 6. Please
mark your calendar for one of three upcoming community presentations:
- Monday, September 17 6:00 pm at Meadowview Elementary
- Wednesday, October 17 6:00 pm at Edgewood Elementary
- Monday, October 29 6:00 pm at Cedar Hills Elementary
You may also visit our booth at the Oak Creek Farmers market
on September 22 and October 13 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at Drexel
Town Square.
The District is also interested in presenting to as many
local groups or organizations as possible. If interested, please contact the
Superintendent’s office by calling (414) 768-5886.
We believe a community will have
the kind of schools they choose to support. Please share your voice in
choosing the future for your public schools by voting November 6.
