Six study groups have been taking a look at district facility needs. Community members have been involved in much of this work. In-depth documents of each group's research can be found on the Jan. 10 school board work session page of the district website. A short summary of each group's work is as follows:
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The Enrollment and Capacity Management Advisory Committee has continued to study student enrollment, capacity and building use. The group has found that there is significant growth in portions of the district. Future housing and redevelopment are expected in these same areas. There are also some district facilities that are under capacity and in need of being addressed.
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The Furniture and Next Generation Learning Space groups studied furniture needs that would be best suited and adaptable to today’s learning needs. They found that districtwide media center and classroom improvements are required to meet these learning needs.
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The Career/Technical Education group looked at expansions to career/technical education classes at each of the comprehensive high schools and the Osseo Area Learning Center. In January of 2022, the board approved nine specialty strands created from the group’s research. Facility adjustments and additional space are needed to continue building these learning paths.
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The Community Education group looked at maximizing the use of space for Community Education programming and community needs requested through the facility use process. The group found that dedicating an entire building(s) to Community Education programming, and adding space for early education and areas frequently requested for community use, are required to meet these needs.
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The Specialized Services group looked at learning needs for special education, gifted and talented and English learner programs. The group found that adjusting classrooms, dedicating areas for specialized purposes and enabling flexibility of these areas are required to meet the learning needs of these programs.
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The Magnet Schools group looked at current magnet programming – science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) and health – and pathways that could potentially be added. The group found that dedicating areas for specialized purposes and adding space are required to meet the learning needs in these areas.
An Oversight Task Force is expected to review these details, prioritize them and make final recommendations to Superintendent McIntyre, who will then share his final recommendations to the board upon review. The board is expected to hear Superintendent McIntyre’s recommendations at their April 25 board meeting.
