Showing posts with label expansion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label expansion. Show all posts
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Attn: Willard & Ridge Parents
Dr. Fishbein, Sheila Brogan and I will be at the Willard HSA meeting on Monday at 1:30, and the Ridge HSA meeting on Tuesday at 2:00 to discuss each school's expansion plans vis-a-vis the 2009 referendum. Please attend if you'd like to see the plans up close, ask questions, etc. (The plans will also be available in PDF form on the district website.)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Consolidation of Special Ed Classrooms
As a continuation of the discussion on expansion, it helps to understand where our self-contained special ed classrooms are currently located, and where they'd be located following the expansion in the proposed referendum:
Pre Construction:
Somerville -- PARCCA (K-2)
BF -- PARCCA (3-5)
Orchard -- LLD (K-2)
Somerville -- LLD (K-2)
Travell -- LLD (3-5)
Travell -- LLD (K-2)
Travell -- LLD (3-5)
Post Construction:
Willard -- PARCCA (K-2)
Willard -- PARCCA (3-5)
Willard -- LLD (K-2)
Hawes -- LLD (K-2)
Hawes -- LLD (3-5)
Ridge -- LLD (K-2)
Ridge -- LLD (3-5)
BF -- PARCCA (6-8)
In other words, under this plan, PARCCA K-5 would be together at Willard, and then move to BF for PARCCA 6-8. Our LLD (Language & Learning Disabled) classes for K-2 would be at Willard, Hawes and Ridge, consolidating to 3-5 at Hawes and Ridge. (Traditionally, the numbers of LLD students is reduced from K-2 to 3-5.
Why are Ridge, Hawes and Willard the schools chosen to be expanded? Why not Travell or Somerville or Orchard? This mainly has to do with property and the availability of space for expansion. Ridge and Hawes have the most room. And Willard, as the oldest elementary school, has some very small classrooms which can be easily adapted for LLD or PARCCA, with the addition of larger non-LLD classrooms.
Pre Construction:
Somerville -- PARCCA (K-2)
BF -- PARCCA (3-5)
Orchard -- LLD (K-2)
Somerville -- LLD (K-2)
Travell -- LLD (3-5)
Travell -- LLD (K-2)
Travell -- LLD (3-5)
Post Construction:
Willard -- PARCCA (K-2)
Willard -- PARCCA (3-5)
Willard -- LLD (K-2)
Hawes -- LLD (K-2)
Hawes -- LLD (3-5)
Ridge -- LLD (K-2)
Ridge -- LLD (3-5)
BF -- PARCCA (6-8)
In other words, under this plan, PARCCA K-5 would be together at Willard, and then move to BF for PARCCA 6-8. Our LLD (Language & Learning Disabled) classes for K-2 would be at Willard, Hawes and Ridge, consolidating to 3-5 at Hawes and Ridge. (Traditionally, the numbers of LLD students is reduced from K-2 to 3-5.
Why are Ridge, Hawes and Willard the schools chosen to be expanded? Why not Travell or Somerville or Orchard? This mainly has to do with property and the availability of space for expansion. Ridge and Hawes have the most room. And Willard, as the oldest elementary school, has some very small classrooms which can be easily adapted for LLD or PARCCA, with the addition of larger non-LLD classrooms.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
What’s the story on the referendum?
If you’ve been reading the Ridgewood News the past few weeks, you’ve seen stories about proposed construction projects at several of our schools. The articles have not done a great job of explaining the big picture. Maybe I can help clear things up a bit.
Here’s the deal. We have physical needs at all of our school buildings. Some of the needs involve expansion: we need to add instructional and other space where we’ve run out of room to educate our school populations. In addition, we need to create permanent homes for some of our special ed programs which have moved from school to school in recent years. Some of the needs involve renovation: many of our buildings are very old and have typical old-building needs like roofs, windows, leaks, handicap-access, etc. It has come time to address all these needs and, since our budget certainly doesn’t allow us to save up for construction projects, we’ll need to acquire the funds via a bond, which must be approved by voters in a referendum, or vote.
Since last spring and continuing now, the Facilities Committee has been meeting with principals and looking at each school, compiling a list of needs in terms of expansion and renovation. The third area we’ll be looking at is energy efficiency – looking for ways to either save on energy costs or possibly to create our own solar power (if the finances make sense). And the fourth thing we’ll be looking at is our athletic facilities, especially fields and gyms. The ultimate goal of all this research will be to put together a package of the most important and vital projects districtwide, and then bring the package to the voters for approval, probably in September 2009.
Over the last few Board meetings, we’ve seen plans for expansion at GW and Willard. Monday night we’ll look at plans for Ridge and Hawes. Future meetings will discuss needs at Orchard, Travell, Somerville, BF and RHS. The purpose of these presentations is to keep you apprised of our thinking, and to ask for feedback from the public. We’ll also be taking feedback and answering questions at HSA meetings. Plans will be posted on the District website soon. We’re moving somewhat quickly right now because we have a deadline of January to submit plans to the state for approval.
So right now, we’re gathering info and estimating budgets. Eventually, we’ll put it all together and we’ll have to make some decisions about priorities. We will have to say “no” to some things…a lot of things. But the ultimate goal is to update our school buildings and create learning environments that serve all our children and that comply with state laws.
When it comes time to prepare for the vote, we’ll have detailed plans, budgets, FAQs and more. There will be meetings and presentations. For now, tune in to (or visit) Board of Ed meetings and/or HSA meetings to be part of the planning process. And, if you have any questions, feel free to post a question here (click "comments") or email me at lauriegood@mac.com.
Here’s the deal. We have physical needs at all of our school buildings. Some of the needs involve expansion: we need to add instructional and other space where we’ve run out of room to educate our school populations. In addition, we need to create permanent homes for some of our special ed programs which have moved from school to school in recent years. Some of the needs involve renovation: many of our buildings are very old and have typical old-building needs like roofs, windows, leaks, handicap-access, etc. It has come time to address all these needs and, since our budget certainly doesn’t allow us to save up for construction projects, we’ll need to acquire the funds via a bond, which must be approved by voters in a referendum, or vote.
Since last spring and continuing now, the Facilities Committee has been meeting with principals and looking at each school, compiling a list of needs in terms of expansion and renovation. The third area we’ll be looking at is energy efficiency – looking for ways to either save on energy costs or possibly to create our own solar power (if the finances make sense). And the fourth thing we’ll be looking at is our athletic facilities, especially fields and gyms. The ultimate goal of all this research will be to put together a package of the most important and vital projects districtwide, and then bring the package to the voters for approval, probably in September 2009.
Over the last few Board meetings, we’ve seen plans for expansion at GW and Willard. Monday night we’ll look at plans for Ridge and Hawes. Future meetings will discuss needs at Orchard, Travell, Somerville, BF and RHS. The purpose of these presentations is to keep you apprised of our thinking, and to ask for feedback from the public. We’ll also be taking feedback and answering questions at HSA meetings. Plans will be posted on the District website soon. We’re moving somewhat quickly right now because we have a deadline of January to submit plans to the state for approval.
So right now, we’re gathering info and estimating budgets. Eventually, we’ll put it all together and we’ll have to make some decisions about priorities. We will have to say “no” to some things…a lot of things. But the ultimate goal is to update our school buildings and create learning environments that serve all our children and that comply with state laws.
When it comes time to prepare for the vote, we’ll have detailed plans, budgets, FAQs and more. There will be meetings and presentations. For now, tune in to (or visit) Board of Ed meetings and/or HSA meetings to be part of the planning process. And, if you have any questions, feel free to post a question here (click "comments") or email me at lauriegood@mac.com.
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