After a summer of meetings and analysis of the Feasibility Study, the Facilities sub-committee presented their recommendation to the Board of School Directors to be included in the Strategic Plan as a Facilities Master Plan.  Among all of the recommendations from the Hayes Design Group, the Facilities Sub-Committee suggests the following:

1. Move sixth grade back to Independence Middle School.
2. Close all five elementary schools.  This leads to three options with varying achievement of the original considerations as detailed in the table below:

There were a few other Considerations from the Facilities sub-committee to include in the Facilities Master Plan:

1. All Day Kindergarten requires at least 8 additional classrooms.  This will work only if we build a new Elementary Center.
2. If NAMS is the site for new Elementary / Primary Center, bus runs will be reduced from 7 campuses to two campuses, but still requires three runs and more drivers.  This will allow for flexibility in school start times and faster runs.
3. Administration provided evidence under separate cover on the efficacy of primary centers versus elementary centers.  This will be most helpful in making a final choice.
4. Dr. Jansante has prepared an analysis of the impact of the decision on the recreation department’s use of our facilities.  Suffice it to say, if we plan for a full-size gym and auxiliary gym in the new building and leave one elementary building with a gym in the system in some capacity, there would be minimal disruption to the shared use of facilities.
5. Related to number 4 above is the possibility of keeping Franklin as the new home of central administration and locate the facilities department there, too.  We keep a gym in the district and we have a sellable property on Church Road.
6. The goal for STEAM programming in K-12 in better achieved with a new building designed and equipped for this.
7. There are additional capital projects that are worthy of attention and need to be considered in this plan.  Specifically: (1) paving and site work at the bus garage; (2) add restroom and storage facilities to the high school campus near the practice fields; (3) support the necessary renovations at our career and technical school, Steel Center.