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School district seeks input on facilities plan
(by Barbara Christian - April 27, 2013)
School district seeks input on facilities plan
By BARBARA CHRISTIAN
CHAGRIN FALLS – A school facilities planning meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday that district leaders are telling residents is not only important that they attend, but imperative so they have a voice in the process.
Superintendent Robert Hunt and Kurt Gabram, director of business and personnel, will help lead the meeting at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center on the high school campus. The presentation will be followed by the community joining in various break-out groups where ideas, questions and desires are formulated.
Topics, while not yet firmly decided, may include what a 21st-century learning environment means to participants, whether school buildings meet the needs of students and teachers, and what is missing from the buildings if needs are not being met.
The session is the first part of a process through which the board of education will determine what changes, additions or subtractions should be made to create the best possible teaching and learning atmosphere.
To facilitate the decision-making process, school board members during their April 8 work session hired Stantec Architecture in Beachwood to assist the district and community in the facility master-planning process.
“It’s our goal to complete a comprehensive plan that will prioritize our facility resources for years to come and, in so doing, meet the future educational needs of our students and the priorities of our community,” Superintendent Hunt said in an official statement.
On Monday, he said he is aware of community sensibilities where school buildings are concerned, reiterating there are no foregone conclusions about what changes should be made. That is why the fact-finding process is one in which the community should take part.
“This is all about what makes sense to everyone in the community,” he said. “It’s important to have community opinions, and it’s important to listen to those opinions.”
The study will include all district buildings, as well as the Chagrin Valley Recreation Center on the high school campus. The school district owns the rec center property, but does not pay for operation of the building or pools, which are maintained by the center’s recreation council. No tax money goes into operation of the center.
A recreation center expansion committee is looking into building a facility in South Russell and, if successful, would close the current facility. What might become of that property, located west of Harris Stadium, is likely to be part of the district’s facility planning discussions.
Also on the list of district school buildings is its oldest, the intermediate school on Philomethian Street. Super-intendent Hunt said he is well aware that some village residents have a strong historical and emotional attachment to the property with a history that dates to 1885. He stressed that there is no pre-determination about the future of the building.
The facilities study pre-planning process began last week among members of the district’s facility committee made up of administrators, parents, community members and school board members. The meeting was held to discuss a timeline.
It was decided that the focus for the remainder of the school year will be to solicit feedback from district residents, parents, staff and students. After obtaining initial feedback, including from Tuesday’s community meeting, Stantec will spend the summer assessing the facilities to identify strengths and limitations.
Following that, the architectural firm will develop a list of priorities and options for the school board’s consideration that, according to the superintendent, could result in a final plan by September.
From there, the plan will go to a strategic planning committee to determine appropriate next steps. As envisioned, the school board would be ready to make a decision on the recommendations in January.
Superintendent Hunt and Mr. Gabram promised there will be opportunities throughout the process for public input. Mr. Gabram, who will resign to take a position in the private sector, said after Monday’s school board meeting that he intends to remain with the school district until the facilities planning is completed.
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