Frequently Asked Questions
In addition to the current consolidated elementary school and on campus option, how many other options have been considered?
The Board has been presented with five options to consider, and the architectural firm is open to providing additional options. These range from the current option that is on the table to what is being referred to as ‘status quo’ which entails repairs and remodels at each building as they stand.
Will employees be furloughed?
If a consolidated elementary school is approved, the District will need to reduce staff. It is the district’s intention to reduce staff through attrition. It is not the intention of the district to furlough any staff.
What are the advantages of a consolidated elementary school and a one campus configuration?
From a financial perspective, the long-term savings of a consolidated elementary school and a one campus configuration are projected to mitigate the tax burden on the community. This will be done through a mixture of operational savings, including reduced staffing, increased energy efficiency, consolidation of services, and other factors.
On the education side, a consolidated elementary school and a one campus configuration provides several advantages.
- Equitable resources for all elementary students. In other words, whatever is available to students in one or two schools would be available to all students.
- Ability to balance class sizes at the elementary level
- Centralization of services for low incident special education classes and an increasing population of English Language Learners.
- Increased school safety for our elementary-aged students, as a centralized campus will allow our school security officer to be available to all buildings during the school day and provide immediate access to district resources in the case of an emergency.
- Increase our ability to work cooperatively across all grade levels. For example, secondary students interested in career exploration activities related to education can more easily work with our elementary staff.
- Greater collaboration opportunities between early, mid, and late career professionals.
- Increased opportunities for staff development.
How long will students ride on the bus?
Our preliminary study shows that overall bus route times will be reduced. While some students will have longer bus rides, no students will have a bus ride longer than our current longest ride, and our longest ride would be shorter than our current longest ride.
Will the public have an opportunity to ask questions and state their concerns?
The district plans to have two informal town hall meetings. One will be in late May, once the conceptual/schematic designs are completed, and the second will be in late August, after the schematic design is completed. A final Act 34 hearing would be held in early 2026 if the board decides to go forward with a building project.
What is the timeline for board approval?
In April of this year, the Board will provide a notice to the architectural firm to proceed with the design phase. Final approval would come after the Act 34 hearing in early 2026.
Where can I find more information?
All the presentations done by the architectural firm and the financial advisors are included on the feasibility webpage on the district website under Feasibility Study Documents. A form for submitting additional questions is also available below.
Have all of the board members physically walked through the three elementary schools? If not, why not?
While not every Board member has personally toured all three elementary schools, many have visited various buildings throughout their service.
The Board is approaching this matter comprehensively by:
- Relying on the assessments provided by our internal facilities staff who work in these buildings daily
- Consulting the professional analysis from external experts who conducted the feasibility study
- Utilizing the specialized expertise of certain Board members who are reviewing specific aspects of the feasibility study's findings
Board members with relevant professional backgrounds are in the process of touring and examining the specific systems highlighted in the study. This targeted approach allows us to efficiently verify key concerns while benefiting from both professional assessments and Board oversight.
The "Option Cost Comparison" slides from the 12/17/24 versus 2/19/25 Feasibility Study Executive Drafts underwent significant changes. What is the breakdown of the Total Project Cost reduction in Option 4, as well as the supporting data for the dramatic change in "Savings"(Annual Operational Expenses) from $750,000-1 million to a savings of $1.85 million? Also, can you provide the same information for Options 1-3?
The variations in operational cost savings estimates between December 17, 2024, and February 19, 2025, Feasibility Study Executive Drafts reflect an important refinement in the analytical approach. Initially, the architectural firm developed cost savings projections based on generalized experiences from other school districts. These preliminary estimates were broad and not specifically tailored to West Perry School District's unique operational context.
The February 19, 2025, draft represents a more precise analysis that:
- Incorporates district-specific operational data
- Considers West Perry's unique infrastructure and operational characteristics
- Provides a more granular and localized assessment of potential savings
- Leverages detailed insights specific to the district's existing systems and potential improvements
The significant increase in projected annual operational expenses savings—from the initial $750,000-$1 million range to $1.85 million—indicates a more sophisticated and district-specific modeling approach. Currently, our cost savings estimates are still being validated and analyzed. We are committed to providing a more detailed breakdown of projected savings in our upcoming public communications, ensuring complete transparency for all stakeholders about the sources behind our financial projections.
How would Option 4: Consolidating Schools impact class sizes, particularly in K-6th grades?
The District strives to maintain elementary classrooms of 18-24 students, balancing educational quality with fiscal responsibility. Our current elementary classroom average is 19.5 students, ranging from 13 to 25 students per class. The geographic distribution of students across three elementary schools creates significant grade level disparities, with an average difference of six students between the largest and smallest classes at any grade level, and some disparities reaching a difference of 10 students.
Option 4 (consolidation) would enable us to equalize class sizes across each grade level, providing more equitable educational experiences for all students. This consolidation would also allow more efficient operations with smaller grade levels, potentially reducing staffing from eight to seven teachers at most grade levels.
Based on current enrollment:
- With seven teachers per grade level, the average class size would increase to 22 students (range: 20-24 students)
- If the two largest grade levels had eight teachers and the rest seven teachers, the average would be 21 students (range: 19-23 students)
It's important to note that final staffing decisions will be based on actual enrollment when the buildings open in their new configuration, but the anticipated changes to class sizes would include:
- A slight increase in average class size
- A slight decrease in maximum class size
- Significantly more equitable class sizes across all grade levels
Option 4 would provide a more consistent educational experience while maintaining class sizes within the district's target range.
Does the firm conducting the feasibility study earn more throughout the building process if Option 4 is selected over Option 1, which is not a new build but is repairs of current buildings? If so, how much more would they earn?
At this point, there is no way to compare the revenue accrued by the architectural firm for any single option. Based on the scope of Option #4, it is likely that the architects would receive more compensation for the breadth of work involved in this project. It's worth noting that some previously eliminated options might have generated even higher architectural fees than Option 4
Currently there are pre-k classes at each elementary school. This program has shown to be difficult for some families in the district to get into because they don’t qualify financially. If the schools consolidate into one building, what will happen to the pre-k program? Will there be multiple classes in the building? Will it still be funded by the grant? Is there a plan in place if the grant will only fund one pre-k class? What will the students who could have been in the other classes do? Knowing that early intervention and early literacy are so important for our youngest learners, has the school board considered what will happen if the district is not able to provide this opportunity for as many students as they have in the past?
A PreK Counts grant funds the district’s pre-k program. The consolidation of the elementary buildings would not affect this funding structure, as the grant is based on the number of qualifying students rather than the number of school buildings.
The district plans to continue to have three pre-k classrooms as long as the PreK Counts grant continues to fund the program. The option to consolidate the three schools was developed with the commitment to expand our students’ educational opportunities, not diminish them. The District Administration and the School Board have carefully considered the continuation of pre-k services throughout the planning process, and three pre-k classrooms are part of the building plans.
As with any program funded by a state grant, there can be changes in the level of funding based on changes in the state budget. If the grant funding were reduced in the future and would not support our current number of classrooms, the district would need to make difficult decisions about our ability to provide this valuable early education opportunity. In such a scenario, the School Board and Administration would evaluate all possible options, including seeking alternative funding sources, adjusting the program structure, or reducing enrollment capacity.