Board President Desh called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
Board President Desh led the board and the patrons in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Announcement of the Open Meetings Act Posting
Discussion:
Board President Desh identified the location of the Open Meetings Act Poster on the wall in the meeting room.
3. Discussion Item: District Enrollment Study
Discussion:
Superintendent Hart and Board President Desh led a brief discussion on the recent district enrollment study completed by RSP.
Highlights of the discussion included a steady growth of students in the upcoming years and information regarding possible options to proactively address this future district growth. According to the attached RSP study, student enrollment is projected to increase by approximately 18.5% (or approximately 120 students) in five years with a total of 787 students by 2026-2027. This projection includes a possible future enrollment of 474 students at the elementary school and 313 at the high school. Both of these projections exceed preferred capacities in our district buildings.
More information about this enrollment study will be discussed during our upcoming Community Engagement meetings in January.
The Community Engagement meetings are scheduled for the following dates and times:
Wednesday, January 19th beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Palmyra High School in the west commons near the main gym.
Wednesday, January 26th beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Bennet Elementary in the media center or cafeteria.
Building tours will be available after each meeting.
Representatives from Clark Enersen were in attendance at the meeting and presented information to the board members and patrons in attendance about possible "draft" options to consider for addressing future student growth at the high school and elementary.
Clark Enersen is the architectural firm that worked with the district on the last building projects and the information presented at the meeting was aligned with recommendations from a previous facility audit and the information contained within the recent enrollment study.
Draft options presented for the high school included adding classroom space on the northeast side of the building, expanding the front office and the main commons area, maximizing current parking areas, and adding a community fitness center/weight room to the north side of the building that could be accessed and used by patrons as well as students.
Draft options for Bennet Elementary included adding classrooms on the southwest side of the building, increasing cafeteria, office, and commons area space, adding commons space near the gym and maximizing available "green space" for outdoor play areas on the property.
Board members discussed other options, such as a separate structure located to the east or west of the current high school building, vertical vs. horizontal expansion of existing facilities, possible costs, and long-range planning timeframes.
No action was taken on this agenda item as more feedback will be collected in the future.
5. Discussion Item: "Return to School" Plan Update
Discussion:
Superintendent Hart updated the board on the current "Return to School" protocols for the second semester.
Bennet Elementary and Palmyra High School will start the semester with masks being recommended at each site, but not required. Please note that these protocols can change quickly according to evolving health conditions.
More information regarding these "RTS" protocols is listed below.
