JACKSON SCHOOL BOARD CONSIDERS FACILITIES

JACKSON -- The Jackson school board took a look at the district's immediate and long-term facility needs -- and how to best plan to meet those needs -- during a special board meeting on Tuesday.

After the 2-1/2 hour meeting, Superintendent Wayne Maupin said the board agreed the district must start planning now for additional space for the high school math, science and computer science classes, and additional classroom space in grades kindergarten through third.

Some options at the high school discussed by the board include renovation of the math and science area, with no real increase in classroom space, or construction of a new wing or free-standing building on the high school campus.

Options discussed for additional primary grade level classroom space included adding additional classroom wings to some existing elementary school buildings or constructing a kindergarten-first grade attendance center near the middle school.

All of the options would require a bond issue, but no dollar amount can be determined until additional detailed studies are conducted.

The board also discussed a wide variety of other issues, but Maupin said the need for more classroom space at the high school and in the primary grades is the major issue right now. "It all comes back to facilities," he said.

"After the Middle School is opened in 1995-96, it will relieve overcrowding in grades 4-9. We should have a window of several years of comfort in those grades."

But he said the overall growth of the school district indicates a critical shortage in classroom space after the year 2000 in the primary grade levels.

"We need to start planning now, because it will take three to four years to have the additional facilities ready for these students," he said.

Maupin said that for the first time in the history of the Jackson School District, many of the grade levels K-12 will be approaching or surpassing 300 students.

At Orchard Elementary School, Maupin said, "we're maxed out there as of the coming school year.

"It's getting to a point that in about two to three years we need to have a good, solid game plan to be ready for this growth," he added. "I don't want us to get into a crisis situation three or four years from now, when we have no more classrooms and have to move in some classroom trailers to accommodate the new students and staff."

Maupin said the classroom situation at West Lane Elementary School will improve somewhat after the opening of the Middle School but added, "even then, we will not have a large number of classrooms available for very long."

He also noted the district must begin thinking about all-day kindergarten should the board decide to implement it, or the state mandate it.

The board asked Maupin to have an architect prepare a study of the high school and primary grade level facility needs for the board to consider. "Give us some options," said board member, Darrell Hanschen.

The board also discussed the future of the district's central office building on Oklahoma. "We're getting short of space, especially for storage and sufficient space for the board meeting room," said Maupin.

Board member, Jack Knowlan Jr., suggested the district set aside money in each year's budget for a office building fund.