Amity >> The Daniel Boone Area School District administration unveiled a long-awaited grade reconfiguration and educational plan that includes closing the Birdsboro Elementary Center.
The plan of grouping all grades into two elementary buildings was presented as “Dialogue 2” at the school board’s April 11 Committee-of-the-Whole meeting by Superintendent James P. Harris and consultant James R. Thompson of Thompson Associates Architects & Planners in Harrisburg.
Harris said it was coincidental that the administration and Thompson developed the same educational plan of relocating all kindergarten through second grade students to Monocacy Elementary Center; all third through fifth graders to Amity Elementary Center, and ultimately closing Birdsboro Elementary Center by the year 2018-19.
“This is the administration’s presentation to the board,” said Harris, adding, “We’re putting together a plan that most effectively uses our resources.”
The next opportunity for the school board to discuss the consolidation plan and possibly make a decision is on April 25.
Thompson said the grade reconfiguration allows for Monocacy Elementary Center – which is geared toward kindergarten – to accommodate the new, at-risk kindergarten program, as well as the expansion of early childhood education at Amity Elementary Center and Monocacy Elementary Center.
He said fifth grade is also better in the elementary schools (and not at the Middle School, which would also unbalance the busing).
“Kindergarten wanting to be together is what got this going – and other grades want to be together,” Harris said. “It is more effective and allows us to deliver more complete resources. We can provide more intervention – there will be less conflict in the middle school if students grow up together. This is a much better relationship building tool.”
Thompson presented Dialogue I: the district’s new facility study, on Feb. 25. He estimates that $13 million of repairs will be needed at the district’s buildings over the next 10 years.
At the Monday night meeting, he compared the three elementary buildings’ physical conditions, repairs needed, as well as the “excess capacities.”
Amity Elementary Center, built in 2002 is in good to excellent condition. Its enrollment of kindergarten through fifth grade is 621 students, with room for 109 more students.
Monocacy Elementary Center, built in 2007, is “like new,” he said. Its enrollment of kindergarten through second grade students is 386, with room for 174 more students.
Birdsboro Elementary Center was built in 1989, is in “good to fair” condition, and has a current enrollment of 409 students in third through fifth grades, Thompson said.
“Twenty-three percent of Birdsboro Elementary Center students do not live in Birdsboro,” Thompson added.
He said the building can accommodate a total of 147 students.
In addition, Amity Elementary Center has seven full-size classrooms used for special education and pupil support, Monocacy Elementary Center has six, and Birdsboro Elementary Center has five.
Thompson said the administration should begin considering replacing mechanical equipment at Amity Elementary Center, cleaning up mildew at Monocacy Elementary Center, and replacing old doors, hardware, and masonry at Birdsboro Elementary Center, as well as the unit ventilator and upgrading the mechanical systems.
“It will improve equity among students – Amity and Birdsboro – all will be learning the same thing,” said board member Connor Kurtz, adding, “No ‘us versus them’ mentality. It’s ‘we’re all now alike’ in the buildings together, sharing everything.”
Although other board members agreed to the merits of the grade reconfiguration and the new educational plan, residents were angry that Birdsboro Elementary Center is out of the equation.
“I don’t see that as one Daniel Boone,” said Birdsboro Borough Manager Aaron Durso, adding, “This is a kick to the groin, but I will continue to focus on the positives.”
“We were told we were an ugly community. Redevelopment focused around Birdsboro Elementary Center and the high school,” Durso said. “We saw Birdsboro Elementary Center as an asset in the community. We fixed streets last year and would continue to fix streets.”
Durso said he had pursued a $100,000 grant to fix Birdsboro Elementary Center’s entryways.
“We promised the school board that if it approved the LERTA (Local Economic Revitalization Tax Abatement) (for development of The Shops at St. Mark’s Square), we would deliver at the end of it: the school district will receive $52,128 each year,” Durso said.
He said the owner of the former Armorcast site has agreed to seven years.
“How passionate I was to develop that site. In 2020 it will come out of the KOZ (Keystone Opportunity Zone) and the assessed value will be $30 million. That is $868,800 to the school district. The borough will receive only a fraction of that. You asked us for a commitment and we delivered,” Durso said. “St. Mark’s Square was non-taxable land that we put on the tax rolls..”
Durso said the land and building for a future car museum will also be taxable.
“Birdsboro stepped up to the plate and delivered. The school district will receive $932,512 in the year 2020 because Birdsboro delivered. As you’re making decisions – being ‘One Daniel Boone’ is more than closing one building. We don’t want division, but now it’s created. We didn’t do anything wrong. Think about commitments that were made and what was delivered. In 2020, [the school district] will [receive] double what you save with this plan.”
Harris said the savings are $540,000 in 2018-19, when Birdsboro Elementary Center is closed.
Board members asked him to verify those numbers for the board’s April 25 meeting.
Shane Kochel, of Union Township, asked the board to consider restoring encore programs (art, music, gym, library, and computer classes) to their original time length, as well as to restore any other curtailed programs.
“Everything is being looked at, including scheduling two levels of music, and the possibility of a new language at the middle school – Mandarin Chinese,” said Harris, adding, “We’re trying to make it a destination school district.”
“Why choose Birdsboro Elementary Center to close – the school is in the middle of the community,” said Cindy McGee, Borough Council vice president. “Monocacy Elementary Center is not near anyone. Baseball teams rely on that space [at Birdsboro Elementary Center], basketball is there. Birdsboro Elementary Center is not just in our community, it is our community. We work really hard on borough council to improve that school, and in two weeks you will make a decision with a huge impact.”
She added, “We would be the only community in the state with our population and no school. I don’t know why we [Birdsboro] weren’t talked to, and why is it the last item on the agenda to be discussed? The community [residents] isn’t here anymore.”
Dane Miller, principal of Amity Elementary Center, said he is excited to have all grade teachers under one roof, which helps with professional development.
“It’s a huge win for the students,” Miller said.
Board member Jeff Scott agreed, stating that although the district will save $540,000, “the real win is a betted education for our kids.”
“A lot of the plan is educationally sound, but why the urgency to decide in two weeks?” asked Amy Hicks, president of the Daniel Boone Education Association.
“There are red flags all over. There are a lot of services, and I don’t see space for them. It’s scary when you look at crowding the buildings with little wriggle room.”
“If we don’t do this now, we have to come back again and re-examine [enrollment numbers and building capacity],” said Harris. “Unless something stems our declining enrollment, something has to be done. I want to do the best for our students. We’re looking at a lot of ways to use your tax dollars in the most effective way.”
Harris said Birdsboro Elementary Center will be maintained after it is closed, in order to repurpose it as a new use for the school district.
Neither he or Thompson provided any details of the future use of Birdsboro Elementary Center.