JACKSON SCHOOLS EXAMINE BUILDINGS

JACKSON -- An educational consultant may be hired to help the Jackson school board devise a long-range plan to set priorities on structural building needs and gain maximum use of space in buildings and classrooms.

Jerry McCall of Educational Consulting Services in Lincoln, Neb., outlined the services his company provides during a presentation to the Board of Education Tuesday night. McCall said his company has worked in 12 states over the past 25 years to help districts of various sizes develop short- and long-term plans for educational facilities.

"The important thing is to get an understanding so that you're in a position to react to change," McCall told the school board. "Educational programming has changed so much in the past five years that many people are having to develop plans to try and meet the new needs."

McCall praised the district's buildings but called the high school campus "tremendously challenging" because it has 11 buildings. He has met with schools Superintendent Ron Anderson, architect John Dudley and others in the district to determine how quickly he could gain access to structural information and building layouts should the school board decide to hire the company.

McCall estimated the services would cost $45,000 to $55,000. He said he would need eight to 10 months to conduct a thorough analysis of the district's space requirements and structural needs.

Faculty and staff and community members would be encouraged to give input so that the "best plan for the district and the community" could be devised, he said.

"We would be looking at the entire district to determine possible changes in kindergarten through eighth grades," he said. "We would spend the majority of our time on the nine-through-12 facilities, improving what's there now because we like to use every good brick, so to speak."

Anderson said there has been "high interest" in the community for the district to set priorities on its building needs. The district, which is growing at a rate of 3 percent annually, has an enrollment of 4,482 students. Of that number, 2,022 are in elementary grades, 682 are in the middle school, 748 are at the junior high and 1,030 are in high school.

Interest in long-range planning intensified following the defeat of two funding issues in April elections that would have financed construction of a new elementary school in the eastern portion of the district and an addition and other improvements at R.O. Hawkins Junior High.

A number of voters, including newly elected board member Mark Baker, said they thought improvements to the high school campus should be considered over construction of a new elementary school. The growth in the district's elementary schools would soon carry over to the secondary level, they said.

"I think this sends a message that the community may want to move in a different direction," said Baker following the election.

At the time, school officials said a committee that studied building needs in 1996 expressed a commitment to the high school campus. That commitment was sealed when voters approved funding for construction of the math and science building, which opened in August 1998.

The older portions of the campus have small classrooms, and the gymnasium is cramped and outdated, but overall the building "is something we can live with for several years," said Fred Jones, outgoing assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, following the April election.

Jackson voters will consider two reworked funding issues during Aug. 8 elections. The first issue voters will consider is a $6 million bond issue to finance an addition and renovations to R.O. Hawkins Junior High. The measure requires a 10-cent debt service levy increase to fund construction of 18 classrooms, a gymnasium and all-purpose room, an expanded kitchen area, work in the parking lot and some new air conditioning and technology in the district.

The second proposal seeks a full elimination of the Proposition C waiver and increase in the operating tax levy by 40 cents to $3.15 per $100 assessed valuation. The additional funding would be used for operating expenses, including hiring additional faculty and staff.