[HenleyMatters] Western Feeder Pattern - School Facilities Planning

[thashi at adelphia.net]

From: The Office of the Superintendent of Albemarle County Public Schools

School Facilities Planning in the Western Feeder Pattern



On a drive through western Albemarle County today the number of new
homes being constructed will catch your attention. New homes typically
result in new students for Albemarle County Public Schools. In the next
five years, our school division estimates the number of elementary
students enrolled across Albemarle County will increase by 115 children.
The Albemarle County School Board is taking steps to prepare schools to
house these new students.



At its December 14, 2006 meeting, the School Board approved the school
division's five-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP). The CIP spans
five years and can be adjusted yearly to reflect changing needs. The
school division's Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee, which includes
citizen representatives, analyzes a variety of information related to
school facilities and enrollment trends to create recommendations for
the superintendent.



In the latest CIP review cycle, the Long-Range Planning Advisory
Committee completed its work in September 2006 and presented its
recommendations to the superintendent, who forwarded the recommendations
to the School Board without changes. The School Board reviewed the
recommendations and last week made a few adjustments to the CIP to
prepare for the current and future growth throughout the 740-square-mile
school division while staying within budget limitations. The School
Board revised the superintendent's project timeline and descriptions for
some projects in the five-year CIP. One such revision impacts part of
the Western Feeder Pattern in alleviating overcrowding at Crozet.
Examples of possible adjustments include:

*Using the existing enrollment capacity at Brownsville and
perhaps Meriwether Lewis Elementary Schools to reduce overcrowding at
Crozet next school year. This change would involve some current Crozet
students transferring to Brownsville or Meriwether Lewis next school
year. It would not involve current Brownsville, Meriwether Lewis or
Murray Elementary School students being transferred to other schools in
fall 2007.
*Moving the Brownsville addition forward. The project's design
will begin in the 2007-08 school year to add 190 seats at Brownsville
for anticipated enrollment. It will be complete in fall 2009.
*Delaying the start of the Crozet addition until 2012. By using
capacity that exists at other elementary schools now, the Crozet
addition can be moved farther down the timeline. However, construction
to create separate car and bus staging areas, and new parking, will
begin design in fall 2008 and be completed in fall 2010.



At its January 11, 2007 meeting, the School Board will receive a report
for a timeline and process for developing recommendations to redistrict
current Crozet students. The school division's goal will be to notify in
spring the families whose students would be transferring.



School Board Policy FB (Facilities Planning) will guide the process for
developing recommendations. The policy calls for school division staff
to develop options and present the options to parents and citizens for
formal input before a recommendation is presented to the School Board.
Informational meetings and on-line opportunities for public input will
be provided. The public input will be reviewed by the School Board. To
read Policy FB, visit the school division website at
www.k12albemarle.org /www.k12albemarle.org/> and click on the
"School Board" link which will take you to the on-line policy manual.



We will continue to provide updates like this as the planning process
takes place to keep you informed and ensure that our parents and school
staff have the opportunity to participate in the public input process.