Post by doctorwho on May 28, 2009 9:43:42 GMT -6
Ask yourself how we got where we are today - with a $150M 3rd high school being built - from this district 204 communications in 2001. They had it nailed dead on attendance wise ( okay they were 100 short ) - and had the correct solution.
Add to the 8400 the COD campus capacity of 600 and we are covered - as confirmd with the SB's own recent attendance estimates -- 8900 MAX -- ever ! How did we get fleeced out of $150M folks ? Who is responsible.... please take time to educate before 2011.
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The Need for High School Space
We currently have just over 4800 students in our two high schools, each of which has a capacity of 3000 students. By 2003, we will have more than 6600 students at the high school level. We expect to have more than 8000 students by 2007 before reaching a projected peak of approximately 8800 students by 2010. In reviewing other districts that have had skyrocketing enrollments, there is an inevitable leveling off and decline. We expect to need additional high school space until about 2020, but then forecast declining enrollment at the high school level.
Over the last ten years, the district has discussed its options for housing high school students. We have seen many school districts in the area face the need for additional space. Because several districts have already built high schools, which were closed in less than fifteen years, voters in other districts have voted down requests to solve the space problems with large, single-use buildings. In others, demographic and attendance area issues have doomed those referenda.
Therefore, Indian Prairie has been on a fiscally responsible course that will cost the taxpayers significantly less money and still address our high school space and curriculum needs effectively and efficiently. The plan is responsive to our residents’ concern that we not overbuild, and is respectful of the high taxes that our residents already pay to house our students.
Indian Prairie has chosen to adapt current buildings (Crone and Granger Middle Schools) to be used as high school space, while building replacement middle schools for them. We propose to make Crone Middle School a freshmen center for Neuqua Valley High School, located on the same campus. We will make Granger Middle School the freshmen center for Waubonsie Valley High School, located across Ogden Avenue.
Each of the freshmen centers will add capacity for 1200 students, providing space for 4200 students at each high school complex. The two year construction schedule for the renovations to Crone and Granger and for the new replacement middle schools will provide us with "just in time" space at the high schools.
Over the last ten years, the district has discussed the option to build a third high school many times. Based on projected costs for a new high school, we estimate that it would cost at least $80 million to build a third high school for 2400 students (the capacity of the two replacement middle schools), plus the cost of land. Attempting to find 80 acres of land on which to build it is almost impossible. Instead, we can build the same capacity for $53 million.
We also expect to recoup some of that investment when we no longer need the space. We are building our middle schools with a design and in locations that will enhance the sale of two or more middle schools for non-residential use when we no longer need them. Buildings of high school size – ours are over 450,000 square feet – are difficult to sell or convert to alternative uses. Our new middle schools, such as Still and Scullen, are on desirable sites with non-residential zoning, and are only 120,000 square feet. We believe we will be able to sell or rent these facilities to taxpaying business when they are no longer needed. These were conscious decisions made with the long-term view in mind. In the 1997 referendum, voters approved the first two steps in this process: the new middle school design and the money to acquire the replacement middle school sites.
We will provide the same curriculum as we do now. We will expect the freshmen campuses to be part of the culture of the main facility, but also provide a more sheltered high school experience for the freshmen students. They will have every extracurricular and athletic opportunity they currently have. After the successful referendum, a committee of faculty members will use the two years before implementation to plan for this change. During the second year, students and parents will be part of that planning.
We will successfully implement this program in 2003.
We believe that the most cost-effective solution is also educationally sound. The freshmen campus is commonplace in other districts, particularly those areas with large enrollment growth. In our area, Lockport, St. Charles, and Plainfield have used the freshmen campus concept. Lake Park and Lyons Township use freshmen/sophomore campuses. New Trier is beginning a freshmen campus next fall (in a building that has been closed for more than ten years). In other parts of the country, this is even more prevalent.
Referendum Table of Contents
The Board of Education's Charge to the Referendum Committee (as a pdf)
The Relationship Between the Operating Rate and Building Bonds
The Education Fund Referendum
The 90-Cent Operating Tax Rate Referendum
The Proposed Increase
The Need for the Increase
The Building Fund Referendum
$88.8 Million Building Referendum
Bond And Interest Fund Tax Rate
The Need for High School Space
Replacement Middle Schools and Hill and Granger
Elementary Schools, Technology, Maintenance, Land
Conclusion
Public Hearing
The complete referendum proposal and explanation (pdf)
Referendum Home Page
contact: referendum@ipsd.org
Add to the 8400 the COD campus capacity of 600 and we are covered - as confirmd with the SB's own recent attendance estimates -- 8900 MAX -- ever ! How did we get fleeced out of $150M folks ? Who is responsible.... please take time to educate before 2011.
-----------------------------------------
The Need for High School Space
We currently have just over 4800 students in our two high schools, each of which has a capacity of 3000 students. By 2003, we will have more than 6600 students at the high school level. We expect to have more than 8000 students by 2007 before reaching a projected peak of approximately 8800 students by 2010. In reviewing other districts that have had skyrocketing enrollments, there is an inevitable leveling off and decline. We expect to need additional high school space until about 2020, but then forecast declining enrollment at the high school level.
Over the last ten years, the district has discussed its options for housing high school students. We have seen many school districts in the area face the need for additional space. Because several districts have already built high schools, which were closed in less than fifteen years, voters in other districts have voted down requests to solve the space problems with large, single-use buildings. In others, demographic and attendance area issues have doomed those referenda.
Therefore, Indian Prairie has been on a fiscally responsible course that will cost the taxpayers significantly less money and still address our high school space and curriculum needs effectively and efficiently. The plan is responsive to our residents’ concern that we not overbuild, and is respectful of the high taxes that our residents already pay to house our students.
Indian Prairie has chosen to adapt current buildings (Crone and Granger Middle Schools) to be used as high school space, while building replacement middle schools for them. We propose to make Crone Middle School a freshmen center for Neuqua Valley High School, located on the same campus. We will make Granger Middle School the freshmen center for Waubonsie Valley High School, located across Ogden Avenue.
Each of the freshmen centers will add capacity for 1200 students, providing space for 4200 students at each high school complex. The two year construction schedule for the renovations to Crone and Granger and for the new replacement middle schools will provide us with "just in time" space at the high schools.
Over the last ten years, the district has discussed the option to build a third high school many times. Based on projected costs for a new high school, we estimate that it would cost at least $80 million to build a third high school for 2400 students (the capacity of the two replacement middle schools), plus the cost of land. Attempting to find 80 acres of land on which to build it is almost impossible. Instead, we can build the same capacity for $53 million.
We also expect to recoup some of that investment when we no longer need the space. We are building our middle schools with a design and in locations that will enhance the sale of two or more middle schools for non-residential use when we no longer need them. Buildings of high school size – ours are over 450,000 square feet – are difficult to sell or convert to alternative uses. Our new middle schools, such as Still and Scullen, are on desirable sites with non-residential zoning, and are only 120,000 square feet. We believe we will be able to sell or rent these facilities to taxpaying business when they are no longer needed. These were conscious decisions made with the long-term view in mind. In the 1997 referendum, voters approved the first two steps in this process: the new middle school design and the money to acquire the replacement middle school sites.
We will provide the same curriculum as we do now. We will expect the freshmen campuses to be part of the culture of the main facility, but also provide a more sheltered high school experience for the freshmen students. They will have every extracurricular and athletic opportunity they currently have. After the successful referendum, a committee of faculty members will use the two years before implementation to plan for this change. During the second year, students and parents will be part of that planning.
We will successfully implement this program in 2003.
We believe that the most cost-effective solution is also educationally sound. The freshmen campus is commonplace in other districts, particularly those areas with large enrollment growth. In our area, Lockport, St. Charles, and Plainfield have used the freshmen campus concept. Lake Park and Lyons Township use freshmen/sophomore campuses. New Trier is beginning a freshmen campus next fall (in a building that has been closed for more than ten years). In other parts of the country, this is even more prevalent.
Referendum Table of Contents
The Board of Education's Charge to the Referendum Committee (as a pdf)
The Relationship Between the Operating Rate and Building Bonds
The Education Fund Referendum
The 90-Cent Operating Tax Rate Referendum
The Proposed Increase
The Need for the Increase
The Building Fund Referendum
$88.8 Million Building Referendum
Bond And Interest Fund Tax Rate
The Need for High School Space
Replacement Middle Schools and Hill and Granger
Elementary Schools, Technology, Maintenance, Land
Conclusion
Public Hearing
The complete referendum proposal and explanation (pdf)
Referendum Home Page
contact: referendum@ipsd.org
