The meeting’s core revolved around the findings from recent community listening sessions, which highlighted educational quality and programming, fiscal responsibility, and safety as top priorities. The sessions underscored declining enrollment as a issue, with current utilization at 77% capacity and a projected drop of 250 students. These trends prompted discussions on the root causes and potential solutions, including open enrollment and operational efficiencies.

School board members reviewed six potential restructuring options designed to address these challenges. Each option was strategically labeled to prevent bias and included proposals such as closing the building with the highest resale value and repurposing Brookside into a preK-2 facility. Some plans suggested relocating the Alternative Learning Center (ALC) to different sites, including Riverland or the high school, while others considered keeping seventh and eighth graders separate from high schoolers.

One proposal, named “Advance,” explored the idea of converting Brookside into a preK-2 school and relocating the ALC, though it left the specific building closures open for discussion. Another option, “Ascend,” proposed restructuring grades six through eight at Southwest and relocating preK programs to Sibly, raising concerns about pairing older ALC students with younger children.

The discussions emphasized the need for a balanced approach to maintaining educational standards while addressing budget constraints. A analysis revealed that closing a building might save approximately $693,000, a fraction of the $2 million reduction required by the district.

Participants also considered the potential market value of school properties, recognizing the subjective nature of real estate and the challenges associated with selling school buildings. Examples from peer districts illustrated varying outcomes, with some districts successfully selling buildings while others struggled to find buyers. The possibility of mothballing buildings was discussed, though concerns were raised about the negative impact on neighborhood property values.

Alternative ideas focused on integrating pre-K programs into neighborhood schools and exploring solar energy projects for utility savings. The district was approved for solar installations at multiple sites, with grants covering installation costs and providing reduced utility bills.

Despite the variety of proposals, skepticism persisted around the feasibility of some plans. Participants expressed doubts about solutions that appeared to shift rather than resolve capacity issues, particularly concerning high school overcrowding. The “Ignite” proposal, which suggested closing Brookside and reorganizing elementary schools, faced scrutiny for potentially incurring additional costs due to existing building adaptations.

As the meeting progressed, there was a call for further community engagement and transparency in decision-making. The possibility of a referendum to gauge public opinion on school closures was suggested, emphasizing the importance of over-communicating financial decisions to the community.