The Wautoma Area School Board and members of the Administrative Team met with Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP (PRA) and CG Schmidt during their work meeting on September 18 to learn more about the next steps in the facility planning and decide on the next steps in the referendum process.
Prior to the discussion taking place, Wautoma Area School District Administrator Jewel Mucklin introduced the guests in attendance, including PRA Partner Devin Kack and Director of Education Strategy Dr. Melissa Thompson as well as CG Schmidt Senior Project Manager Justin Johnson and Director of Business Development Michelle Kartman.
Mucklin went on to provide the Board background on what PRA and CG Schmidt were tasked with following the April Work Meeting, which included: a site plan for the Lake Ride Subdivision; conceptual design for Lake Ridge Subdivision; Site Plan for Parkside School; and Site Plan for keeping the Riverview gymnasium and kitchen and transforming the rest to a green space. Prior to going into the PRA and CG Schmidt Presentation, Mucklin had each of the administrators in attendance offer insights regarding their schools and departments.
WASD Lead Maintenance Director Andy DeKeyser spoke to the Board regarding the current state and conditions to each of the buildings as well as where updates are needed. According to DeKeyser, Riverview Elementary currently has a lot of plumbing issues since the building is using 1960 drains. He also stated there are currently only two outlets in each classroom, and it is difficult to work with the changing technology with the electrical so the electrical is out of date.
According to DeKeyser, the high school is in good shape, especially since the heating and cooling systems were recently upgraded, while the Crossroads Building and Redgranite Elementary School’s roofs need minor repair. The roof is going to be looked at to make a $6,500 repair than a $65,000 repair down the road. DeKeyser added even though Parkside is the newest of the buildings, it is 30 years old and there are things that still need to be upgraded and updates need to occur, and the 4K wing of Riverview is in great shape, however, it was built in 2008, so there are updates that need to be done.
Having been a high school teacher for a number of years, DeKeyser said he was amazed at the organized chaos that occurs at Riverview each day. He said watching students transition from the back of the school to the front of the school a number of times a day and length of time and learning disruptions that take place in the Kindergarten and 3rd Grade Hallways, students are losing valuable educational minutes. DeKeyser concluded his remarks by stating, “children learn differently now than in the 1960s and the community needs to be educated on that issue.”
Mucklin gave an update on the safety and security of the schools from City of Wautoma School Liaison Officer Lafe Hendrickson who could not be in attendance. Ms. Mucklin said Officer Hendrickson believes the camera systems need to be updated to provide better video feeds; the District should look at perimeters, including fencing, but still allowing for access for emergency personnel; the upgrading of the alarm systems are needed in order for them to be heard outside; and the possibility of having FOB access to each of the exterior doors of each school would be beneficial.
Next, District Technology Director Eric Highlander provided the Board with information regarding the technology systems in each of the schools, stating that FOB access is expensive for just one door and can range from $700 to $1,000. The new Riverview buzzer system recently cost the district about $1,200 for just the camera and buzzer, which doesn’t include the construction that may be needed to build something to protect the buzzer from the weather. According to Highlander, all the buildings have similar technology issues, and the most important needs are being addressed.
Riverview Elementary Principal Alex Kitchener and Assistant Principal Sarah Pietauskis gave an overview of the learning and educational space inadequacies the current building faces daily. Kitchner started from about 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM there are about 160 children in the hallways either because of reading/math acceleration or lunch. Due to the layout of the school, teachers need to build transition time into the day for students to get from one end of the building to the other, which cuts into learning time. He also added when there are behavioral issues there isn’t a central resource room for students to go, so the students must get from one end of the building to the office, which can interrupt instructional time for other students.
Pietauskis said Riverview currently is bursting at the seams with some intervention teachers in closets since they just don’t have the space. There is also no storage in classrooms, so the storage areas are filled and moving students for specials often takes them from one end of the building to the other multiple times a day.
Chief Financial Officer Carmen O’Brien also provided an update on revenue sources and budget breakdown for Fund 46 - Capital Projects Fund; Fund 80- Community Fund; and Fund 10 - General Fund. According to O’Brien, in May 2024 there was over $600,000 saved from the past five years in the Fund 46 - Capital Projects Fund and can be used in May 2024 for only capital improvement projects such as a new roof.
O’Brien explained Fund 80, or the Community Fund, has seen growth over the past few years, which helps to fund three major areas: Redgranite Elementary A+ After School Program, the McComb/Bruchs Performing Arts Center, and the City of Wautoma Police Liaison Contract. Finally, Mrs. O’Brien said the Buildings and Grounds has $1.1 million in their budget currently to use for operations, maintenance, and facilities.
Following the administrator presentations, Kack gave the Board information regarding the concept developments PRA and CG Schmidt have been working on since the April Work Meeting.
Kack stated at Redgranite, Parkside, and the High School there are ways to make secure entry sequences work effectively, but there is a cost, especially at the high school level because it includes more construction. By allowing for these secure entries, it provides another layer of protection for the students and staff each day. He went on to review the plans he created with the Board for each school and CG Schmidt’s Justin Johnson outlined a cost estimate for each of the buildings.
Kack also presented a rendering of what the site plan of a new two-story building on the Parkside grounds would look like and how the traffic pattern could potentially be impacted. He said at the time they never looked at Parkside being a feasible option since the group never thought about a two-story elementary school. With enough land available near Parkside, having Riverview on the same grounds could work, but there are a lot of questions that need to be answered regarding traffic flow and safety/security measures.
Finally, Kack showed the Board the layout of what a two-story elementary school would look like on Taplin Drive, located in the Lake Ridge Subdivision. By having a two-story building, it not only provides for green space for play and sports fields but gives a clear traffic pattern in and out of the school. Kack and Johnson said the amount of money the referendum would include not only the cost of a new school but the added secure entry construction at each school building.
Mucklin and the Board went on to discuss next steps and decided that their best option would be a November 2024 Referendum. The plan moving forward is to create a Facility Ad Hoc Committee Task Force of the WASD Board of Education to educate and get community members involved in the process. The Board plans to bring a list of names forward as to who they believe should be considered for the committee, which includes those in favor as well as those against the previous referendum held earlier this year. The creation of the ad hoc committee will be voted upon during the October 9, 2023, Monthly Meeting.
Finally, with the YMCA interested in possibly acquiring the old Riverview Elementary School building for a future investment, area resident Lanie DeMars stated the organization is interested in learning more about the referendum timeline. DeMars added the YMCA is excited to start working with the community and hopes that everything moves forward smoothly.
At the conclusion of the meeting, WASD Board of Education President Nicole Lehr, Muckin and DeKeyser, wanted everyone to understand that even though the old Riverview Building is good for a YMCA, it is still in need of major renovations and it no longer an adequate educational space for the smallest children.