Advertisement
Minds and Matter: Three reasons to improve facilities
by Kevin Hatfield, School Superintendent · Op-Ed · September 22, 2016


The West Branch Board of Education, administration and staff have been focused on delivering outstanding learning experiences for your students.
As you know, educational programs have changed significantly over the past few decades in response to research on how children learn. Your teachers have been working on collaborative, data-driven, technology-enhanced pedagogical strategies and professional growth. Their work has been amazing. Having quality school facilities to support this effort is a critical part of ensuring that high standards for teacher effectiveness and student achievement can be accomplished.

While we have improved the cleanliness of our schools, expanded and improved parking lots and remodeled Hoover Elementary School’s locker rooms and restrooms, it is clear that more significant facilities improvement must be addressed. Substandard learning environments reflect poorly on the people and programs that are housed in them. Conversely, attractive, well-maintained, 21st Century school facilities support quality teaching and learning and the long-term economic viability and “quality of life” aspects of a community.

Inadequate school facilities can result in or contribute to:

• Safety and Security Hazards: The location of each of the WBCSD’s school offices creates significant visibility and security concerns. Modern schools incorporate “buzz-in foyers” that require guests to enter into a school’s main office during instructional hours.

• Reduced Learning Time: Why is this happening in West Branch? Simply put, there is not enough programming space in our middle school for current and future programming needs. Consequently, we bus 125 WBMS students to the high school each and every day to ensure access to 21st Century science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classes, as well as, to meet required art and music instruction needs. This leaves only 120 middle school students in the WBMS at various times during the day. This is not an efficient use of our resources. There are only a few school buildings left in Iowa without full art and music classrooms or their own gym or lunch room.

• Student Engagement Factors: Examples of how engagement can be impacted in West Branch - The WBCSD’s science labs have not been updated in over thirty years. Many of our fine arts programs require us to have four or five performances due to the limited number of seats (298) in our auditorium. A major component of the District’s bond planning process includes the building of a 700 seat school and community performing arts center.

Outdated school facilities can also result in and contribute to: unstable student enrollments and lower property valuations, low staff morale, limited programming, higher rates of teacher attrition and turnover, inability to provide specialized curricula, distractions from learning, reduced ability to meet special needs, lack of technological proficiencies, health problems for staff and students and additional supervision of students concerns.

The District’s 15-Year Master Facilities Plan reflects two fundamental premises: The condition and design of school buildings and grounds affect the quality of education and the vitality of the school and its community, as well as, broad community involvement in decisions affecting public schools results in better education, better facilities and stronger communities.

The Board and District have attempted to make this complex and demanding process less intimidating by breaking it down into a few basic steps: stakeholder input and professional facilities assessment, envisioning, planning, development and resource impact. Even as we enter into our third full year of planning, the Board continues to challenge architects and engineers to redesign and refine the original, 15-year footprint designs. The Board has been studying multiple funding and tax implications with consideration related to this work. The next articles will provide details regarding bonding and funding aspects.

Bonding Construction Priorities: new elementary school addition with three future-ready classrooms, new music room and centrally located office, new high school and elementary offices with “buzz-in” security foyers designed for office entry only for guests during instructional hours, removal of existing middle school building, New parent drop off loop in the location of the existing middle school building, new parking lot with approx. 50 new parking spaces in the location of the existing middle school building, new entrance to the high school aligned with Dawson Drive in the Meadow’s Addition, 700 seat performing arts center, new parking lot to provide more space to support 700 seat performing arts center & other activities, new future-ready high school addition, renovation of high school commons area and kitchen, renovation of current “H” hall for middle school students and the modernization of WBHS’s HVAC in renovated areas.

School Tax Levy Comparison Rates FY 17 (per assessed $1000): Tipton 12.38, Mid-Prairie 13.74, West Branch 14.06, Anamosa 14.66, Highland 14.78, North Cedar 14.80, Camanche 14.86, Wilton 14.87, Northeast 14.96, Solon 16.11, West Liberty 16.51, CCA 18.95, Lisbon 17.50, Mt. Vernon 18.46

Current Funding Study (includes $1.09 reduction from elimination of elementary geothermal bond in 2018): @ 3.00 = total school levy of $15.92, @ 3.25 = total school levy of $16.17, @ $3.50 = total school levy of $16.42

Projects at West Branch High School - As part of the District’s efforts to meet additional facilities and programming needs, as well as, to support the Board’s desire to reduce the potential total bonding request, the District is moving forward with facilities improvements on the east side of WBHS. This work includes the building of a:

Multi-use Storage and Extra-Curricular Practice Facility: This building will be part of Architect, Construction and Engineering (ACE) Mentoring Program. This Kirkwood program involves West Branch students in the design and part of the building of a school-designated construction project. Our program benefits from the successes of the A.C.E. Mentoring programs and construction found in the CCA and Durant school districts. Please call Central Office if you would like to contribute to or be part of the ACE program.

14-foot Wide Emergency Vehicle Lane: The lane will allow access to the back of West Branch High School. The project includes the addition of three new fire hydrants.

Finally, the West Branch Community School District understands the importance of obtaining public support for school facility reinvestment. Community involvement in the development and implementation of school facilities has been and remain a goal. The final months of facilities planning (Phase III) will be completed this winter. If you would like to contribute to this process please consider joining us at our scheduled School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC) meetings on: Monday, September 26, 6:30 PM., Hoover Elementary School, Monday, October 24, 6:30 PM, location TBA and Monday, November 28, 6:30 PM, location TBA.



Kevin Hatfield is the superintendent of West Branch Community Schools. You may reach him at 319-643-7213 or khatfield@west-branch.k12.ia.us.