Dear Fairbanks Families and Staff,
Last month, the combined income and property tax ballot issue did not pass. While this ballot issue would have provided funding to complete Phase II of the Master Facility Plan, our school district will leverage resources to address many of the issues identified as priorities in the facility plan over the next several years. Today’s update will provide a snapshot of where we are, where we are going, and some of the unknowns. It is a lengthy update. I encourage everyone to please read it.
Before diving into the update, there are a few thoughts I do want to share with you. Whether an individual supported or did not support the ballot issues or the facility plan in general, those are personal decisions. Ohio’s funding model for schools, especially districts that are considered wealthy like Fairbanks, depends on the public for voted support. These are ultimately personal decisions that are guided by a myriad of factors. As a public school district, our school organization must operate within the resources at our disposal. Our district will continue to partner, communicate, and share plans with community members as we address needs across Fairbanks.
Please read through the updates below. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Where are we now? - Phase I Update
Construction is currently underway on a 7,000 square foot addition to the elementary school. This will provide six additional classrooms to the building.
We are currently on schedule for completion and occupancy for the 2024-2025 school year.
Our 2023-2024 kindergarten class is currently at 84 students. Next year’s class is tracking to be around the same size. Our previous ten years averaged about 65-70 students. Classes that begin at 70 will enter high school with around 100-105 students.
Preschool will be returning to campus next year. We anticipate three sections of preschool - 2 morning sections and 1 afternoon.
The addition will cost around $3.5 million dollars. The addition is being paid from the general and permanent improvement funds.
Where are we going? - Phase II Update
In November of 2023, the community voted to make the permanent improvement levy permanent. Because of the change, the district is in the process of financing $11 million dollars to fund portions of Phase II of the Master Facility Plan.
On Monday night, the Board of Education approved a resolution to approve Garmann-Miller as the architect and engineer for Phase II of the Master Facility Plan. We will begin working with Garmann-Miller on plans for Phase II over the coming weeks.
There will be a complete replacement of the middle and high school HVAC system. This work will begin in spring of 2025. Lead times for electrical and other system components are the driving factor for that timeline. High school replacement will be in spring and summer of 2025. Middle school replacement will be in spring and summer of 2026. The cost of HVAC and electrical replacement will be around $7.5 million dollars.
The remaining monies will be spent on improving a secure school entrance, creating capacity in the middle and high school, and prioritized renovations according to the master facility plan. These items will be identified once we begin working with the Garmann-Miller team on this phase.
Unknowns
I have received several questions about when Fairbanks will go back on the ballot. Ultimately, that is the Board of Education's decision. Minimally, we will be off the ballot for the November 2024 cycle. One driving factor is the Ohio Facility Construction Commission. We have elected into the Expedited Local Partnership Program where our school district receives credited dollars back from the state. A district has 12 months to raise the funds for the program. That window closes in June and we will have to start the process over since the ballot issues did not pass in November or March. That puts our schools outside of the November election cycle. My anticipation is the district will not be on the ballot minimally for the next twelve months.
Curriculum updates, capacity needs, and capital improvements will not all be solved with current funding. Additionally, other needs around athletics and other district supported programs will need to be addressed during the intermediate term of the next five years. This will require the board and district staff to examine new resources, partnerships, and find creative solutions to address these needs. This will be a fluid process and one that is difficult to fully predict at this time.
From my lens, capacity is the biggest external unknown at this time. While the district has completed two full enrollment studies and one enrollment check, this continues to be monitored on a daily basis across the school district. For example, our elementary school is up 19 students since the start of the school year (41 new students, 22 withdrawn students).
Our district will host informational and feedback sessions over the coming months regarding district planning. Please look for this information heading into the end of the year. Reach out at any time if you have feedback, questions, or suggestions. Thank you for all you do for Fairbanks!!
For Fairbanks,
Adham