Firm reports some Jackson schools are full or nearly full

Members of the Jackson School Board received a progress update Tuesday on the district's long-term facilities plan, which is part of the overall strategic-planning process that began in recent months.

Brian Foxworthy, president of Incite Design Studio, the architectural firm helping facilitate it, said he and his team are looking at everything from building capacities throughout the district to anticipated student population shifts in the next 10 years, along with what kind of funding might be needed to meet those demands.

"Everything's on the table," he told the board.

While facilities district-wide are in great shape, certain areas need attention, he said.

Aaron Harte, an architect at the firm, said Gordonville, North, West Lane and Millersville elementary schools are over capacity. South Elementary is getting there with a capacity of 76 percent.

"The schools that are full are going to get more full; the schools at capacity are going to (take on) more capacity," he said, except for slight shifts up or down in the next five years or so.

Meanwhile, the middle school and junior high are expected to feel more full in coming years as children from the lower grades filter into them.

"The middle and the junior high are really going to feel the pressure," he said.

Overall, the district itself is at 90 percent capacity, with certain buildings over their limits.

Part of the facilities plan's purpose is to figure out how to distribute students more evenly and ensure each school building is being used effectively.

Right now, fifth grade is part of elementary school and ninth grade, although part of the high-school curriculum, is held at the junior high.

Harte and Foxworthy said they already have polled some stakeholders on whether those grade levels should be shifted to other buildings or whether all elementary schools in the district should be more even in terms of grade levels (K through 4 instead of K through 5, for example).

Another issue is finding a use for the old senior high-school building, which is vacant and needs updates. One idea is to convert it to a ninth-grade center, Foxworthy said, which his team has done elsewhere.

Another issue the architects identified is a possible need for a larger performing-arts space at the high school that also could be used by the greater community.

Although all early childhood education is at East Elementary, Incite has asked stakeholder groups whether other centers should be available throughout the district, particularly in outlying areas.

The firm also is helping the district in applying for a FEMA safe-room grant which, if approved, likely would become part of West Lane.

Meetings are scheduled throughout the fall, and the architects said a master facilities plan will be presented to the board in December after enough community input.

ljones@semissourian.com

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