Ad Hoc Committee Views PHS Building Options

The Peshtigo School District’s Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on building needs for the middle school/high school met for the third time Tuesday evening, May 22. Decision on what may be built and where it should be located appears to remain a very open question.

Committee members viewed some conceptual plans for a proposed site and buildings that could front on or near Oconto Ave; reviewed enrollment data for grades 4K through high school from 1978 to the present, along with projections of student numbers through the 2015-2016 school year; discussed the impacts of open enrollment; planned a tour of Chilton and Oconto Falls High Schools on Friday, May 25, and spent some time identifying needs, evaluating options and listing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and obstacles they expect to meet on the way to improved facilities for high school/middle school students and their teachers.

Results of the needs and options discussion will be tallied for discussion at the next meeting.

Consultant Catherine Cruickshank presented a concept of modifications to the present building that would include a large new gymnasium, parking for up to 350 vehicles, an open courtyard, and perhaps an open outdoor area for large technical education projects.

“We can make staying on this site work as long as we get a little more land,” Cruickshank said. The possible plans she displayed would involve purchasing some homes and other properties, including four homes on Green Ave. across from the existing school.

Cruickshank said she had prepared more than one concept, and suggested they keep in mind, “What we really need to do, versus what we wish we could do.”

She agreed the concept of keeping the school downtown is wonderful, but it puts space at a premium, especially in consideration of storm water, proximity to the river and Trout Creek and high water tables in the area.

She said most high schools of the size they are considering have about 50 acres to work with, while the proposed downtown site would have only about 13 acres. She agreed the stadium already is nearby, but pointed out practice fields will continue to be located “all over town, as they are now,” if the decision is to build whatever they build on or near the present site. She felt putting up an entirely new building there probably would not be possible because of DNR rules related to the proximity of Trout Creek that did not apply when the original building was constructed but would now.

That brought a suggestion to consider putting an entirely new building in what is now the parking area, which would allow classes to stay in the existing building until the new one was entirely done, at which time it would be demolished to make space for parking and green areas, which could be closer to the water. Cruickshank felt that would be a more expensive option, but said she will look into it farther.

Clarence Coble, Peshtigo Town Clerk and former School Board member, suggested running the expanded building at the same angle as Oconto Ave., but only going part way to that major thoroughfare, which would eliminate the need to buy commercial property.

Cruickshank said that would not provide enough space for the parking the district would like to have. That brought a discussion on why so much parking area is needed. There currently is room for only 65 vehicles in the area directly around the high school/middle school. Coble said the present parking lot on the east doesn’t fill up now, and suggested they could put a parking lot near Badger Park for students. He said the 200-foot walk wouldn’t hurt them, and the only reason students don’t park there now is they cannot enter the building from that side and must walk all the way around.

She pointed out that it is nice to have ideas, “but what do we do if somebody decides not to sell?” Answering her own question, she said they could buy with eminent domain, but pointed out that is not a good way to gain public support.

Former Board President Jim Koronkiewicz and former Board Member Dennis Karman agreed whenever they discussed school needs, additional parking was far down on their list of priorities because outside of graduation there are rarely large crowds. Cruickshank suggested if there were more parking they might attract larger meets and other events.

The meeting started with in-depth discussions of enrollment projections, with emphasis on the number of students added due to Open Enrollment policies. Several committee members said people complain to them that the school keeps accepting more and more students from outside the district and then needs to add space to accommodate them.

“I don’t want to be judgmental about what’s right and what’s wrong,” Superintendent Kim Eparvier said, “but Peshtigo would not be in the good financial position we’re in if we did not benefit from Open Enrollment.” He explained the state reimbursement formula and how having additional students helps, and said the current Open Enrollment students add $700,000 every year to district income.

He said with that amount of money each year and minimal added costs, “You’re almost half paying for a new school for your kids with other people’s money.”

Karman said people get upset because students from outside the district transfer in so they can compete in sports and win scholarships.

“I would hope there are some people who are proud that so many students want to come here for open enrollment,” former school board member Lou Nesberg countered.

In answer to a question from the sparse audience, Eparvier said the majority of students who opt out of attending school at Peshtigo do so to enroll in virtual schools. He added that for students who are home schooled, virtual schools are better for the district from a financial standpoint, and he believes they are better for students than traditional home schooling.

County Board Chair Vilas Schroeder asked about re-enrollment policies. He was told students who are accepted for kindergarten can continue through sixth grade without reapplying, and those accepted for seventh grade are then eligible to continue at Peshtigo Middle-High School through their senior year. Those who transfer in as juniors must wait a year before participating in varsity sports. In real life, to date, any students accepted for 4K are allowed to remain Peshtigo students until they graduate.

With the exception of a one-class “bubble” here and there, enrollment appears likely to grow very slightly if at all in the next five years.

With 17 new Open Enrollment students added, 4K will increase from 73 students this year to 90 for 2012-2013. Current enrollment numbers for K through 12th grade include students who entered previously under Open Enrollment, and the board has approved adding more for next year - four in kindergarten, five in first grade, one each in second and third grades, none in fourth grade, two in fifth grade and none in sixth grade. For the 2011-2012 school year there are 115 Open Enrollment transfers in students in the entire district, and 13 students who transferred out, increasing total enrollment by 102 students.

To objections from Schroeder that open enrollment does not pay for a bond issue, Eparvier said he is working with financial consultants to come up with a way the income from open enrollment students can be used to offset building costs as well as operating expenses. “We’re working to be as sensitive as possible to the bottom line,” he declared. He said districts with declining enrollment have declining income as well and have to cut programs, which leads to a domino effect and loss of more students.

Total number of students at Peshtigo has changed little in the eight years one of the reports noted. There were 1233 students in 2004-2005, dropping to a low of 1,163 in 2007-2008, and climbing again to 1,239 this year. There were 1,117 students in 1978-1979. Smallest enrollment was 898 students in 1984-1985.

Koronkiewicz suggested instead of focusing on things like open enrollment and parking, they should be focusing on what new things the district can do to improve education for students, for example expand the trades programs, working with NWTC, working with employers in the community.

Eparvier said the state is giving school districts more flexibility in programming now, and recently authorized them to issue technical diplomas. “Not every kid is going to college,” he declared, “and we need to serve 100 percent of our kids.”

He reported sadly that a local businessman had just offered them a CNC machine worth half a million dollars, and they had to turn it down because they have no place to put it.

Koronkiewicz agreed there are opportunities in other technical fields as well, and stressed the need to expand tech ed opportunities. “Do I see a new school in our future?” he asked rhetorically, “No, I don’t. But I see changing and expanding opportunities.”

“I’ve always seen this building as a money pit,” Lou Nesberg countered. She said it has been well maintained so it looks nice from the outside, “but we have to get people in here so they see the problems...We have to tell them what this building really is.” She mentioned probable need to replace the roof in the near future and other costly renovation issues that she felt might make it less costly to build an entirely new structure. Several other members echoed her concerns.

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