3.1.3 Option 3: Consolidate to 5 Schools (by Closing One) ● Key Features:
○ Consolidates from 4 elementary buildings to 3 and reduces the number of schools from 6 to 5. ○ Two versions are proposed for closing a school: ■ V1: Close the Conant school and distribute its students among the remaining schools, given that its building would also be closed. ■ V2: Close Merriam (the school with the lowest enrollment preference), distribute its students, and move the Conant school community into the available space. ● Main Benefit: Creates greater efficiency by reducing administrative and operational costs, allowing the district to reallocate savings to other priorities like specialist staff. ● Main Drawback: Deciding which school to close is a challenging and potentially controversial process that can erode community trust. ● Cost & Sustainability: Avoids major renovation costs. Generates an estimated $400K–$500K in long-term operational savings and creates the potential to reallocate $700K–$800K in staff resources to other priorities. This option has Greater Sustainability . ○ Reduces the number of schools from 6 to 5 by merging Merriam and McCarthy-Towne, the two schools with the lowest enrollment preferences. ○ The Conant community would be relocated into the space made available by the merger. ● Main Benefit: Generates operational efficiencies and frees up resources for reallocation, while preserving a high-performing school community (Conant) by moving it to a more updated facility. ● Main Drawback: The merged school communities risk losing their individual traditions and culture, and those families may feel their schools were sacrificed to preserve another. ● Cost & Sustainability: Avoids major renovation costs ($17.5M). Creates operational savings ($400K–$500K) and allows staff resource reallocation opportunities ($700K–$800K). This option has Greater Sustainability . 3.1.4 Option 4: Consolidate to 5 Schools (by Merging Two) ● Key Features: ○ Consolidates from 4 buildings to 3 (closing Conant).
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