• Need – Currently three of our four schools (GHS, CJH, SAS) are functioning beyond the student rated capacity. Only the Goshen Intermediate School is at the rated capacity. A school district must have space to meet the challenges of an increasing student enrollment. In addition to physical space, equally important is the ability to maintain and improve academic programs. We have recently commissioned professional demographic studies in our attempt to forecast the future enrollment trends in our district. The first study, in January of 2006, indicated our student enrollment is going to continue to grow. The second study completed on August 13, 2007, reinforced that our student enrollment was increasing at a slightly faster rate (2%) than the previous study in January of 2006. Even if new construction slows, our district is still going to experience some increase in enrollment from this sector, plus additional students from the sale of existing homes in our community.
   
• Cost – It is essential that school districts carefully scrutinize the cost of any building project. The key concept in this process is the creation of needed space for enrollment and program and still build at the lowest possible cost. It is important to work in concert with the architect and the construction management firm to obtain the lowest possible contractor bids and to apply state aid ratios effectively to maximize our construction aid. Critically important in this process is to insure our building aid units reach their highest potential.
   
• Timetable – Anytime a school district enters into a building program, whether it be building a new school or additions to existing structures it is an exceptionally complicated and lengthy process. By way of example, if we were to start a building project today, (September of 2007) the newly constructed or renovated schools would not be completed or ready to receive students at the earliest until September of 2012. The drawing and design process in addition to the actual construction requires a five-year time span. If you add the 2½ years of meetings, research, and planning that has been completed by the Growth Task Force, we end up with a 7½ year process.
   
• The Consequence of Not Building - There is a cost to waiting. Since construction costs are increasing on an average of 8% to 9% per year, if we wait to build it will cost more and we will receive less. If we do not expand our facilities to meet the coming challenges, student enrollment is still going to increase.
   
• Community Involvement in Planning – For the last 2½ years a representative group of approximately 30 community members have met monthly to plan for the future needs of our school district. This committee has studied and reviewed all the complex issues related to enrollment growth and the impact it will have on our district.

In a future article I will explain the role the Growth Task Force has played in this process.

Roy Reese
Superintendent of Schools