Mayor Kahl has made a proposal concerning the utilization of the district's building in Monona. The full communication can be found here on Doug Wood's blog.
In a nutshell:
Nichols: The district vacate Nichols and move the administrative office to Maywood next school year. Vacating Nichols would be a sign that district is serious about considering development opportunities for the property. The Mayor notes in his letter that the city has been approached with "multiple development concepts" for the Nichols site.
Maywood: In addition to the district offices the Mayor asks that EC and 4K students continue to attend this building, plus that a portion of the building be converted for use as the Monona Senior Center. The current Senior Center in the city's community center is in need of additional space. The proposal indicates that the city would contribute to remodeling costs associated with conversion to a senior center. The proposal indicates that keeping EC and 4K programs in Maywood would help keep space available for a potential charter school program in the Winnequah building.
Community Center: The MG21 program, our existing charter school that provides alternative high school programming would occupy the space in the Monona Community Center currently occupied by the Senior Center during the school year. This space would be available for other uses during the summer months.
Winnequah: Maywood K-2 students would move in to Winnequah and that space would be available for a future charter Middle School if that materializes.
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What do I think of it?
1) I have always advocated for cooperative ventures with the other units of local government to maximize use of resources and provide the best return on the taxpayer investments to the community. We should utilize any good ideas along these lines to the best of our ability.
2) Air conditioning is the $500K-$1M elephant in the room. Maywood is not air conditioned and this would be the major cost of converting the building for use in the summer by administration and the senior center. I think air conditioning would be a requirement for a senior center, but not for MG21 (since they aren't in session in the summer). The rate limiting item in moving from Nichols to Maywood is the availability of funds to accomplish this. The current administrative offices work fine, and there is no compelling district need to move the offices out of Nichols so long as the location is available to the district. (Craig does wish to move the Pupil Services offices out of the basement and up to the top floor in order to improve communication. This would require some minor remodelling but is not a necessity).
The mayor's proposal offers to contribute toward the remodeling (including air conditioning) of Maywood, but I don't see an obvious significant source of revenue on the district's side until we can sell Nichols- (although I would argue that it is a good time to invest in infrastructure with interest rates at historic lows.) It seems to me the district's current path is to wait until we have a deal to sell the Nichols before relocating the administration.
Of course this is where the cooperative venture could pay off: by investing in and utilizing Maywood the city can provide necessary improvements to its Senior Center facilities at less cost than building a new facility. At the same time the District's costs to provide facilities for our administration and MG21 program could be reduced.
I'm surprised to learn from the letter that the city has had multiple proposals for development of the Nichols property. I don't think I have seen any of them, although there was talk of interest by Meriter. If its true that these would provide income above the current appraised value of the property then we would be very interested. I think the district has already indicated we are serious about redevelopment of the property, as evidenced by the reported interest the city has received.
My motivation on Nichols is that this is a prime property location available in a landlocked community that is largely unused - we will all be better off when it is working for the citizens and taxpayers of Monona and the School District.
3) Keeping EC and 4K in Maywood would for me have to hinge on the educational pros and cons and efficiency of resource usage. I have suggested this approach in the past myself, but this is primarily an educational decision.
4) I can see MG21 using the community center space if needed, this seems reasonable. My primary concerns would be the educational pros and cons as well as the costs involved- I trust and value the opinions of the MG21 educational staff in these matters.
Update: The MG21 staff has composed a response to the proposal. Their concerns revolve around space an utilization of the facility. A major concern is that MG21 currently uses about 5000 sq.ft. of space while the existing senior center only has about 2,600 sq. ft. This smaller space would not have room for both group instruction and individual workstation spaces.
Although no place is perfect it is important that any facilities we have don't impair the instructional mission. The MG21 program is an important part of this district and it needs to have adequate facilities. While the program can't remain in Nichols indefinitely its important to give primary consideration to instructional needs when considering where they should be housed in the future.
5) This proposal presumes moving the Maywood students to Winnequah. The district hasn't made a decision on this issue (although we plan to decide next month) - Having been suprised in the past I've learned not to try and predict outcomes until the fat lady sings.
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19 comments:
Good to see you are keeping an open mind. Don't rush anything until all ideas are vetted...even if it means that the spring elections once again overlap. All board members owe it all of the residents of this district.
Even if it comes from Mayor Kahl, this may have merit and I encourage an open mind on this one Peter.
I am admittedly not a fan of Mayor Kahl but this may make some sense and I look forward to the board debating this idea.
I have several concerns about leaving EC and 4K at Maywood. Financially, you would have to run extra buses and have personnel commuting between schools.
Logistically, it seems it would be difficult to schedule phy ed and therapies (e.g. Speech) when personnel are covering two schools. I thought part of the point of consolidation was to limit staff having to move between schools. Also, part of what we like about 4K was that it is available at Maywood, where they get to know the building and personnel, which helps develop a smooth transition to full day kindergarten.
More importantly, I have concerns about the safety of housing EC and 4K in the same building as the senior center, which is a busy, mobile program with many people coming and going all day. Would all these people be background checked? How would you account for, say, a registered sex offender, who wishes to join the senior center, but is not allowed to be within a certain distance of an elementary school?
Sex offenders – really? If we have sex offenders at the Senior Center we already have problems as this place is located right next door to the pool and Winnequah School and for a long time until just this year it shared the community center building with the Youth Center. As for the transition and staffing issues raised, I will defer to staff and the board but many of the 4k students in Monona attend IHM and seem to transition fine to kindergarten at a different facility.
Can I sing now so we can get this over with already? Will you once again delay this budget decision because Dudley Do Right has ridden in to save the day?
There are so many issues in this district....why does Maywood suck so much time and energy? Are there any kids in Monona and Cottage grove over the age of eight that we should be concerning ourselves with?
I am confused Fat Lady because I would think you would love this idea since it closes Nichols and disposes of the property once and for all (so we can put to bed the fantasy that it will reopen once again as a school for kids from Monona and Cottage Grove), provides us with desperately needed money off the sale of that building, gets the city to contribute to Maywood remodeling costs and packs Maywood and Winnequah full including moving the majority of kids to Winnequah. I would gather from your tone that you would be happy with all of this.
Current MG school district policy requires all potential volunteers in schools to sign a form at the beginning of each school year that allows the district to conduct criminal background checks on them. Given that policy, the concern raised is a legitimate one.
And it's naive to think the schools in the district don't keep lists of people not allowed in the schools (esp. elementary schools) at any time -- often times an abusive parent, or those who have engaged in unlawful activities. Why do you think you have to hit a buzzer to get into Winnequah's only entrance?
My point is that we need a decision and we need it in time for the budget for next year. Here we have something at the eleventh hour threatening to delay yet again. Meanwhile, some of us have kids in overloaded classes at the high school, our kids have no AP Science opportunities and our ACT scores are (insert yawn here) and nobody seems to care about that sort of thing. Doesn't these issues merit as much discussion and hand wringing as Maywood?
I have no opinion on the plan because I don't know what it costs and I don't know what the teachers think. This is just a suggestion where to put the players on the chess board but it should be evaluated on its educational merits which it has not. To have an opinion is grossly premature.
I think people are misunderstanding the facility when they envision it to be one where administration, staff, students and seniors would roam the halls freely as that would not be the case. As part of this plan, the Senior Center would have a section of the current building remodeled to provided a separate dedicated area (including entrance) and I imagine there would be some security access or check-in required to have cross-access between the different areas and uses in the building similar to the access to Winnequah referenced above. Additionally, I would imagine the District would require any individuals from the Senior Center wishing to interact or volunteer with the students to execute the appropriate paperwork and go through a background check. Remember, some seniors may not want to volunteer their time with the students but rather just visit the Senior Center to see friends and play cards and that is ok too. Please also remember that these are the very same seniors that today share the community center with Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, interact with children at the adjacent pool, library and Winnequah School, and until this year shared the community center space five days a week with the youth center operated by Monona and YMCA. This idea of an intergenerational learning partnership is not a new concept and I encourage everyone to check out these three links for more background: http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/pubs_html.cfm?abstract=AgeWave
and http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region5/59400009.pdf
and http://www.marshfieldnewsherald.com/article/20101110/MNH04/11100335/Column-Academy-lets-students-learn-how-kids-seniors-interact
Mayor Kahl,
Any reason why this couldn't happen now? Isn't the current Senior Center, like, 200 feet from Winnequah where early Childhood and 4k might be? Isn't the Senior Center more or less across the street from Maywood? If it is such a fabulous idea it can happen anyway, the current proximity makes it possible now, does it not?
While I am reluctant to engage in a Q&A with anyone not willing to put their name to their thoughts Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous, I will note that there is some volunteering that goes on right now at Maywood but it is limited due to transportation and mobility issues. Remember, we are talking about senior citizens and while many can still be quite capable of driving themselves around, traversing an icing parking lot, walking from one end of a building to another, etc., just as many cannot do those tasks unassisted even though they would love to volunteer their time reading a book or doing an arts and craft project with a child. Let’s also be willing to acknowledge a simple truth in life - the easier you make it to volunteer the greater level of participation and success you achieve. Finally, your whole premise that we can do this now so no need for change, besides ignoring some basics truths as spelled out above, fails to address our space needs issue for the Senior Center.
If anyone else has questions for me I will try to answer but only if your name and contact information is attached to your post. You all know my name and my phone number and address are publicly listed, so I ask the same courtesy of you. Thanks.
Mayor Kahl,
I think it's a good thing you are responding to questions. Better to do that then to let bad information circulate. Who cares if they are anonymous? As long as they are valid, why wouldn't you answer them? A lot of people read this. If things get a little snarky, that's part of the deal. Remember that you upset a lot of people with very high profile stances on very controversial school issues in the past. It is a legacy you cannot escape and reality with which you must deal.
OK, then let's move the Senior Center to Maywood. Revenue for the school district or at least an in-kind situation where the city agrees to some basic maintenance in exchange for the space. But as far as the little kids being there can we please evaluate the merits educationally and fiscally? Ditto for the Alternative School. We need to hear from them about that space. They are treated like a tribe of wanderers when ever facility use comes up. A proven, successful program deserves better treatment.
“They are treated like a tribe of wanderers when ever facility use comes up. A proven, successful program deserves better treatment.” Agreed but do you really think they are in a situation now where they will be located at Nichols long term? Come on, that building is half-empty and should be sold. Not saying the Community Center is the spot for them but to think they have found a long-term home at Nichols is delusional.
"Come on, that building is half-empty and should be sold."
Nichols has been effectively "for sale" since the middle school referendum passed in 2006.
If you think it should be sold, why don't you buy it? Don't have the money? You're not that much different than developers in the area, many of whom are struggling with vacant properties already. Maybe, just maybe, the economic downturn of the past two years has more to do with Nichols not being sold, than any offices or programs in the school.
Who said anything about Nichols being a long term site for the Alternative School? My point is that any location for them needs to be evaluated based on their needs and our fiscal realities. Period.
I think their chances of finding a permanent home at Maywood are much better than anywhere else. I don't know why we think the Alt kids and the seniors would be a bad combination. From the kids I've known at the Alt School, I think some very neat partnerships could happen with the seniors. These are kids who are working hard at school and while many of them have good, committed parents some of them do not and could benefit from a grandparent-type mentoring relationship. Why don't we think that could be as cool as reading story books to 4 year olds? Why do we assume older adults don't have interest in these kids? I much prefer interacting older kids and I doubt that will change as I grow older.
Can you post the MG21 response so we can read it?
let's put the focus where it is obvious: Nichols is a money sucker that needs to be shut down completely and sold. Maywood is full now. Winnequah is not because the board has systematically gutted Winnequah to fill GD. The board has created this vacuum. It is unacceptable that Nichols remains half utilized and has since it closed. That is where the focus of all discussion about facilities discussion should be; close Nichols and relocate all tenants, and stop using a fully utilized, successful school building (Maywood) as a scapegoat.
"That is where the focus of all discussion about facilities discussion should be; close Nichols and relocate all tenants, and stop using a fully utilized, successful school building (Maywood) as a scapegoat."
The only place to put all of Nichols' current programs (without renting space somewhere) is in Winnequah, which raises this question:
-- What's a better fit for Winnequah: district offices, the alternative school, and Excel kids, or pre-K through 2nd grade? Everyone who actually works in the schools, thinks the latter choice is a better fit.
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