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Consultant recommends closing elementary school, shuffling grades around in Massena

Posted 10/17/14

By ANDY GARDNER MASSENA -- A consultant hired by the Board of Education to look into building consolidation came back on Thursday night with a proposal that would call for closing an elementary …

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Consultant recommends closing elementary school, shuffling grades around in Massena

Posted

By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- A consultant hired by the Board of Education to look into building consolidation came back on Thursday night with a proposal that would call for closing an elementary school and shuffling around some of the grades.

Although the idea is more of a starting point and not close to anything final, former New York State Rural Schools Association executive director Bruce Fraser suggested putting grades eight through 12 in the high school and five to seven in what is now J.W. Leary Junior High. Grades two to four and kindergarten through two would be in separate elementary buildings.

If the board chooses to pursue this avenue, Fraser recommended axing so-called “team teaching” at the junior high and scrapping pre-kindergarten in favor of contracting the service. He also said he feels the district should completely cut out the junior kindergarten program, citing a 25 percent failure rate.

“Development of children … should be of great concern, but this … should be viewed on a cost/benefit basis,” Fraser said. “If you contract out pre-K, you have the potential for a $417,000 reduction on the expenditure side of your budget … of course, you’d have to increase your contractual side.”

He said the district has a “theoretical capacity” of 3,112. He says the high school can fit 1,800 pupils and it now houses 944. That depends on modifying the alternative education wing to seat an extra 100 students.

“I do believe you can go beyond the highest (number of students) the high school has ever had,” Fraser said.

Given the district’s financial situation, Fraser recommended the board work with what’s available and not take on a building project.

“I would hesitate to take on any capital project,” he said.

Board President John Boyce wanted to know why the junior high is the best building for the proposed middle school, rather than another elementary. Fraser answered that it already has facilities for programs such as music, technology and family and consumer science.

“It’s better suited to meet those needs,” Fraser said.

Board members agreed that they and school administrators need time to digest Fraser’s findings before they decide which direction to go, which may not be entirely in line with Thursday night’s proposal.

“Right now, this is at the point of (Superintendent of Schools) Bill (Flynn) and the principals digesting a whole lot,” Boyce said. “Anything else is speculation and conjecture.”

Board member Paul Bronchetti suggested garnering public input, but Boyce said he thinks they’re not ready to do that yet.

“Going to the public right now is kind of foolish. The only thing we would be able to ask is ‘what do you think of the presentation?’” Boyce said. “What do we ask?”

Fraser recommended the board get as much public input as possible.

One of the issues they will look at is how the different age groups would mix together.

“I don’t want my fourth grade daughter riding the bus with a senior,” board member Loren Fountaine said.

The board decided to look at reorganizing the buildings in April while crafting the 2014-2015 budget. That month, they ratified a $49 million spending blueprint that called for using $3.5 million from an ever-dwindling fund balance. They are hoping they can save enough by combining buildings to stave off losing their cash reserves, at least at such a high rate.

Fraser warned them that their cash situation requires them to take action and quickly, regardless of what direction they go.

“The alternative is you’re going to be out of fund balance. Class sizes are going to explode and you’re going to cut things I’ve heard are important to this community, such as music, art and athletics,” Fraser said.