JEFFERSONVILLE — A $119 million plan to renovate, rebuild and begin construction on several schools in Greater Clark County Schools was revealed Wednesday, and several closures were also discussed.
The district’s board of trustees saw the first report from Andrew Melin, superintendent, on what its potential referendum would look like after a facilities study was conducted in the summer 2013. The goal, Melin said, is to put the measure to a ballot in November.
Melin said he recognizes the announcement of school closures is controversial, given the district’s past with that kind of discussion, but he said it’s ultimately going to benefit students, families and the corporation.
“We’re not doing this to hurt anybody, we’re doing this to help everybody,” Melin said.
Some of the school renovations — including turning Parkview Middle School into an elementary and renovations to Northaven Elementary — would mean the potential closure of five schools. Melin said because of the physical condition of Maple, Spring Hill, Thomas Jefferson, Bridgepoint and Pleasant Ridge elementary schools, those students would either be moved to renovated or newly built schools.
The plan calls for a new building at Wilson Elementary School, with a new elementary in Charlestown and a new middle school in Jeffersonville.
Melin said the enrollment forecast conducted by Kovert Hawkins Architects shows steady growth in the next decade, fueled by commercial and residential growth likely to come from the Ohio River Bridges Project and River Ridge. Because of that, the new elementary schools will have a higher capacity than existing schools, especially those downtown.
Melin said after the meeting that he understands the project he’s calling for costs about $40 million more than the schools referendum that failed in the New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corp. on Tuesday, but he said there are a few advantages in Clark County.
He said with so much of the county’s property tied up in tax increment finance districts — about $600 million in assessed value — it could help the district achieve a lower tax rate. In Floyd County, the tax impact would have come in at about 21 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Melin said they may be able to beat that.
But he said he may not be able to beat their neighbor’s proposed deal. The failed referendum in Floyd County would have resulted in a net tax decrease for residents, but Melin said he’s not sure that’s possible for Clark County residents.
The new schools at Wilson Elementary and in Charlestown are planned to house 650 to 750 students each. The new Jeffersonville middle school would hold 900 to 1,000 students.
Melin said he understands parents who have children in schools like Maple and Spring Hill elementary schools may have concerns about sending their children to much bigger schools from buildings with enrollments of about 240 students or so each. He said in order to give equitable facilities to all students in the district and to eliminate classrooms with more than one grade level in them, it’s going to take a bigger building. But he also said it provides other benefits.
With a new grant secured to provide preschool programs in every building, 4-year olds will have access to half-day programs, he said. But the problem is that they need more space for such programs. Also, the district buses English Language Learners to certain schools in the district. With bigger schools, they can learn in their home school.
The board has a tight timeline to meet to put the question on a ballot in November. By the end of June, it must adopt a resolution and approve a ballot question. Melin said they’ve got a lot of work to do in promotion before they hit that ‘dark period’ this summer. He said they’ll soon release a schedule of school meetings with families and the public at large.