School Facility Efficiency Review

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Students learning in a classroom

 

School Facility Efficiency Review Committee

The Olympia School District recently conducted a re-examination of its future enrollment expectations, and new forecasting suggests that the district will decline in enrollment in the years to come. As it strives to maintain its high level of service to children and families, the school board is seeking advice from its constituents regarding this challenge.

 

Update December 8, 2023

 

During its work session on December 7, 2023, the Olympia School Board asked district leadership to research the cost savings of two new possible school facility efficiency proposals that directors introduced during the meeting:

 

  • Consolidate LP Brown, Madison and McKenny elementary schools. If additional cost savings are needed to cover projected enrollment declines over the next five years, consider consolidating Boston Harbor Elementary and Reeves Middle schools.
  • Reconfigure grade level structure throughout the district so that students in preschool through grade 4 would attend elementary school and grades 5-8 would attend middle school. Students in grades 9-12 would continue to attend high school. Concurrently, consolidate Boston Harbor, LP Brown, and Madison and/or McKenny elementary schools.

 

The board will continue discussion about school facility efficiency at its next regular board meeting on December 14, 2023 and may vote during that meeting on a list of possibly impacted schools, effective starting in the 2024-25 school year.


Based on board action taken on December 14, and in accordance with Board Policy 6883 “Closure of Facilities,” the school board would hold meetings/public hearings in January and February 2024 to gather input from students, staff and community members at any school that could potentially be closed. The board would then announce a decision about school facility efficiency in March 2024.

 

 

Scenarios presented at November 2, 2023 board work session in rank order of preference

 

  • #1 (Scenario 3): Middle Schools Convert to 7-8 Grade Configuration – Consolidate: Jefferson Middle School, Reeves Middle School, LP Brown Elementary ES.

  • #2 (Scenario 4): Standard Consolidation of Boston Harbor, LP Brown, McKenny and Jefferson.

  • #3 (Scenario 1): Consultant's Eastside and Westside P-8 Grade Reconfiguration: Consolidate LP Brown, Roosevelt (into the adjacent P-8), Garfield (into the adjacent P-8)

  • “Add Alternate” - Additional Scenario Applicable to All: Consolidate the Large Special Curriculums (Options) into Fewer Buildings (Lincoln, ORLA, Avanti)

 

View the Zoom recording of the November 2 board work session (note that the meeting begins at 00:03:25)

 

 

Committee Background

 

 

Meeting Dates

The committee met eight times (from September 25 -  November 1, 2023). Meeting summaries and related data are posted below:

 

 


Committee Facilitator

Shannon Bingham, of Western Demographics, Inc. based in Colorado and Washington state, will lead and facilitate the school facility efficiency review process. At the June 22, 2023 Olympia School Board meeting, Bingham shared about his experience assisting school districts with this type of work and provided a snapshot of the work ahead in this community. He recently met with district leaders and toured the school district to get a firsthand look at OSD facilities.

 

 

 

Recent Reports/Resources