November 18, 2002 Meeting of the Guilford Board of Finance

Is Adams Currently Overcrowded?

• Slides 22 through 24 presented the pros and cons of building a new Adams school.
• There were 12 pros and no cons
• There were no slides explaining how the current Adams building is overcrowded.

1. "One of the issues facing Adams is there are no standard-size classrooms; some are small, others huge."      [underline emphasis added]
2. "To rectify the situation would require a complete interior renovation to state specifications, which together with the additions at Baldwin priced out to $70.534 million."   [underline emphasis added]

I next called the Connecticut State Department of Education and was referred to Craig A. Smith of the School Facilities Unit.   In a November 13 phone conversation he said:

1. He didn't know what Mrs. Truex meant by "standard-size classrooms"
2. There's only one requirement for classroom size.  It's found in the Connecticut State Fire Safety Code (NFPA 101 - 1997).  Section 11-1.7 of this code discusses occupant load for classrooms and states that there should be a minimum of  20 net square feet per person.   Thus, for a class size of 24 students, with one teacher, the classroom size should be at least 500 square feet.

Approximately 635 students are currently enrolled at Adams.

Will Adams be Overcrowded in the Future?

• The only "official" enrollment projections discussed publicly were presented by the Education Consultants of Connecticut (ECC) at the October 1999 BOE meeting.   The ECC representative stated:
• "At the middle school level (grades 5-8), over the next ten school years, enrollment is projected to be within the range of 1,233 to 1,320 with peak periods in grades 5-6 during years 2001-2006 and in grades 7-8 during years 2002-2007."
• That's an average of 330 students per grade for grades 5 through 8.
• That's roughly 660 students for Adams.
• The minutes of the March 2002 BOE meeting reported that Julie Kim, an architect with Fletcher Thompson "reviewed enrollment projections by Educational Consultants of Connecticut.
• There was no mention of any defect with the ECC projections.
• Quoting from the minutes of the September 2001 BOE meeting:
• "Mrs. Truex reported, as of today, the preliminary enrollment is 3,977,  including students who attend out of district facilities.  She discussed state projections and reported the peak enrollment period is projected to occur in 2007-2008 with Guilford's projections at 4,078.
• This 4,078 figure says we should expect a maximum of 100 additional students for the 13 grades (K through 12) over the next 6 years.   Per grade it's an average of about 8 additional students.
• This 4,078 figure yields an average of 314 students per grade for the 13 grades.
• That's roughly 628 students for Adams

Does this prove that we don't need more space for grades 7 and 8?

No, but it does suggest that:

1. We need an objective assessment of currently available space.
2. We should explore all options for more efficient space utilization.
3. We need enrollment projection data from qualified experts.

If Construction is Needed, What About the Current Proposal?

The current proposal will reinforce the current grade span  model, with Baldwin, technically an elementary school,  for grades 5 and 6, and Adams for grades 7 and 8.

School Administrator is the journal of the American Association of School Administrators.  The March 2002 issue was devoted to issues related to grade span configurations.

As discussed there, current research indicates that for both academic achievement and social adjustment:

1. It's best to delay the first school building transition.
• The old Guilford model was better, with the first building transition at the beginning of the 6th grade.
2. It's best to minimize the number of building transitions
• The old Guilford model was better, with just one building transition during the K-8 years.
3. It's best to minimize grade density (the number of students in a specific grade in a specific building).
• The old Guilford model was better, with half the current grade density for grades 5 through 8.

1. To keep the student close to home where "everyone knows your name."  In particular, the school principal knows the student  and the family, beginning with the first day of school.
2. To maximize parent participation.
• A higher percentage of parents tend to remain involved with the first school attended by their children.
3. There is an increased probability of siblings in the same building.
• The older children look out for the younger children in their family.
4. There is an increase in teacher to teacher accountability.
• Teachers in earlier grades are under pressure to meet the expectations of teachers in the later grades.  They see them every day.
5. Most importantly to delay the stress of the first building transition.
• The first year in a new school building is difficult for students, both academically and socially.

No, but it does suggest that we should give more consideration to alternative grade span models before we reinforce our current unconventional grade span model.

What About the Total Cost of This Proposal?

The total cost for Guilford taxpayers should include:

1. A more realistic estimate of reimbursement from the State of Connecticut.  Let's hear the details of reimbursement percentages.   What happened to the 33.57% rate mentioned September 23rd?
2. Expenses to maintain and reconfigure the current Adams building.
3. Expenses to access the Baldwin site from route 77, with the required bridging of the West River.
4. Interest for the 20 year bond.

Two aspects of the proposal deserve special scrutiny:

1. The 10.2 million dollars in soft costs for the new Adams building
• Show us the details!
• There are new middle schools projects where the total cost is less than this soft cost figure.
• [Click on  New Middle School in Bloomer, Wisconsin ]
2. Current plans for the proposed new Adams building now call for 158,000 square feet of space.
• At the August 2002 BOE meeting, it was to be about 138,000 square feet.
• We were also told then that the standard reimbursable square footage is 136,000 square feet.
• The public should know how profitable that extra 20,000 square feet will be for those involved with the construction.
• Ask Craig Smith at the State of Connecticut DOE School Facilities Unit.

Next?

• Click here for the Guilford Middle School Building Project: A Summary View
• Click here for Bill Quirk Responds to First Selectman, Carl A. Balestracci, Jr.
• Click here for the Guilford CT Public Education Home Page