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Home > Blogs > Springfield Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > December > 12 > Entry
District eyes middle school for office move
Most Springfield City Schools Central office departments could be sharing a building with middle school students next year while other departments relocate to be closer to the students they serve under a proposal from a board committee.
The district’s facilities committee has recommended moving the central office employees - departments like the superintendent, curriculum, etc. - to Clark Middle School, board Vice President Ed Leventhal said at last night’s meeting. Those employees are currently at South High School.
The committee also recommends relocating the district’s bus depot to the old Clark Middle School site, he said.
Under the committee’s recommendations, the special education department would move to Keifer Alternative Center and the business operations department would move to the service center near Springfield High School.
Several proposals were explored, including purchasing city- or community improvement corp.-owned land for a bus depot or renting office space for central office but these options were the best for the district’s current needs, Leventhal told his fellow board members.
District staff will now look into the particulars of the move, including costs and a timeline and make a recommendation back to the board in January for a final vote.
The committee will meet again Monday, Dec. 15, to continue discussions on whether the district should close a building, said Leventhal.
“The whole thought (of closing a school) is basically financially driven as well as what makes sense from where we are today,” he said.
The state auditor’s office recommended in a performance audit earlier this year that the district, currently under state financial oversight due to long-standing budget woes, should consider closing a middle school to alleviate financial stress and increase building capacity levels.
No decision has been made yet, board members stressed last night. Clark is the middle school auditors recommended closing.
Leventhal said the district would still be able to close Clark, if the committee recommends to close a school and if that school is Clark, even though the central offices are moving there.
Although the auditors said that some of the district’s buildings are being used at very low capacity - most notably, Clark Middle and Fulton Elementary - many of the buildings house other programs, like Head Start classes, so all space is being used, said Leventhal.
“If Clark is closed as a school, it doesn’t mean that building is closed,’ he said.
Auditors estimate closing a building would save the district $162,000 in the first year and nearly $430,000 in subsequent years. It would bring middle schools usage rates from 75 to 92 percent; the industry standard is 85 percent usage.
The facilities committee meets at 4 p.m. Monday in room 215 of South High School. Any recommendation from the committee to close a school would go before the board for final approval.
What do you think about the proposal to move central offices to Clark? Should the district close a school?
Read more school news on our education blog.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Springfield City Schools
Comments
By fred
December 12, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this
The district rarely does what is proper and/or correct. It folds to political pressure from groups outside of education.By Anne
December 12, 2008 2:40 PM | Link to this
But you can afford to hire an outside agency to find a principle, what idots!By Clark Co. Resident
December 12, 2008 2:47 PM | Link to this
Decisions are made because of lack of financial resources in the district. The best interests of the students usually come last.