TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                                                Page      1. – 2.    

 

Introduction                                                                                                                                         3.

 

The Work of the Task Force                                                                                                            4.

 

Elementary Task Force Members                                                                                                                5.

 

Section 1.             Revisiting the 2002 EFTF Plan

Governing Assumptions                                                                                                    6.                            

Part 1.    Fiscal Capacity                                                                                                                    7.            

Cost Reductions Relating to Elementary Schools                                                       7.            

                Adams / Jack vs. East End Operating Cost Comparison                                           8.

Consolidation Options and Savings Estimates                                                            9.

Part 2.    Enrollment Trends                                                                                                              10.

                Examining the 2002 EFTF With Current Populations                                                  10.

                Current School Enrollments                                                                                             11.

                Declining Enrollments                                                                                                       11.

                Declining Student and Family and Populations                                                            11.

                Understanding Declining Enrollments                                                                           12.

                “Simple Principal Driving Big Economic Change”                                                       12. – 13.

Kindergarten Enrollment                                                                                                   13.

English Language Learners                                                                                             14.

                Predicting Enrollments                                                                                                      15.

                Private Enrollment / Other Than Portland Public Schools                                           16.

                Elementary “School of Choice” and “Programming Choice”                                      16.

                National Enrollment Estimates                                                                                        17.

                Housing Trends                                                                                                                  17.         

Part 3.    Community Use of Facilities                                                                                             18.

Part 4.    Educational Mandates                                                                                                       18.

Part 5.    Economic Diversity                                                                                                             18.

 

Section 2.             Consolidating Elementary Schools                                                              19.

Part 1.    Defining “Anchor Schools”                                                                                                                19.                         

Part 2.    School Configurations                                                                                                       20.

                Seven Elementary School – Options 1 through 7 and 1A                                           20. – 24.                                Eight Elementary School – Options 8 and 9                                                                  25.                          Six Elementary Schools – Option 10                                                                               26.                         

 

Section 3.             Unresolved Issues                                                                                            27.

 

Section 4.             Conclusion                                                                                                           28.

                                                                                                                               

Appendix                                                                                                                                              29.                                          1. Free and Reduced Populations by School                                                                       30.                                          2. Original 2002 EFTF Plan – Bundles 1, 2, and 3                                                                31. –  33.                               3. Current Elementary School Populations and Components                                   34. –  35.                               4. Enrollments by Area and Declining Family Populations                                         36.                         

5. ELL Populations                                                                                                             37.                         

6. Kindergarten Enrollment                                                                                                               38. – 39.               

7. Recent Housing Developments                                                                                  40.                         

8. Future Housing Developments                                                                                    41.         

9. Housing Units For Sale                                                                                                 42.                         

10. Public Housing and the Portland Schools                                                                              43. – 44.               

 

References                                                                                                                                          45. – 46.

 

Acknowledgements                                                                                                                          47. – 48.              


               

Resource Documents Included                                                                                                      49.

1. 2002 EFTF Plan

2. City of Portland Ten Year Capital Improvement Plan

3. Portland Schools Ten Year Capital Improvement Plan

4. 2001-2002 & 2004-2005 School Facilities Priority List

5. 2000 Portland Census

6. Maine State Planning Office Procedures for Population estimates

7. National Statistics, Elementary School Size

8. Enrollment Projections, National Center for Educational Statistics

9. Housing Development Data

10. 1999 Semple & Drane School Condition Report – Summary Only

11. 2004 – 2005 Scoring Report Information – DOE Facility Evaluation Report

12. 2001 – 2002 Scoring Report Information – DOE Facility Evaluation Report

 

Introduction

 

The Portland Public Schools, one of the oldest school systems in the country, has seen a multitude of school configurations, and changes in the decades that preceded us. From teaching kindergarten in the private homes, to the small neighborhood elementary school of 8 to12 classrooms, to the excitement of “expeditionary learning,” it has been the responsibility of many different stakeholders over the years to guide the changes that produce quality-learning environments.

 

Each generation has produced education strategies that have evolved into the world of modern education. As with the evolution of education, so too have buildings evolved. It is in this environment that future generations of students will access great learning opportunities.

 

The Portland Public Schools 2002 Elementary Facilities Plan was designed with “stop signs” following each phase / ”bundle” in order to review data regarding student enrollment, fiscal capacity and educational programming. Therefore, with

Phase/Bundle 1 - Jack-Adams-Riverton underway, the School Committee appointed the 2005-2006 Elementary Facilities Task Force. 

 

The 2005-2006 Elementary Facilities Task Force was charged with examining the mandates of the 2002 Elementary Facilities Plan, and to gather and analyze data to determine if the plan held validity at this current juncture. An additional charge was to make recommendations to the School Committee should the plan need updating based on changes since its’ inception. If a conclusion were arrived at in terms of consolidations, renovations, rebuilding, or status quo, this recommendation would be forwarded to the School Committee for future consideration as well.

 

While this committee did not reach an overall consensus, we believe we have gathered and examined the data necessary to make a decision that is in the best interest of our future learners and the taxpayers of the city of Portland. It is with those interests in mind that this report is offered.

 

 

                                                                                                            March 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Work of the Task Force

Task Force Updates Plan for Portland's Elementary Schools

From The EFTF Web Page – November 2005

Portland's Elementary Facilities Task Force is updating a plan for renovating, replacing and consolidating the city's 8 mainland elementary schools[1]. The new plan will take into account current and projected student enrollment, educational trends and available funding.

The task force, established in 1998, includes city and school officials, parents and staff. The task force's recommendations laid the groundwork for the comprehensive elementary facilities plan adopted by the Portland School Committee in November 2002. The plan called for rebuilding or renovating eight "anchor schools" in addition to the island schools and closing three others.

Since then, Baxter Elementary School has closed and the East End Community School is nearing completion. It will open in September 2006, serving all of the students now at Adams Elementary School as well as some students at Reiche, Clifford and other schools.

Clifford has been named as the state's highest priority for reconstruction funds. The task force will look at the possibility of combining Clifford's population with that of another school and recommend three or four possibilities. While no timetable has been set for the task force's work, it is expected to take several months. The Portland School Committee will make the final decision.

"Given our declining enrollment, it is inevitable that some elementary schools will close during the coming years," said Portland Superintendent Mary Jo O'Connor. "I am confident that the Elementary Facilities Task Force will review all of the data in a thoughtful, objective manner. Working together, we can build the best possible elementary schools to serve our children and future generations."

Portland School Committee member Jason Toothaker chairs the Elementary Facilities Task Force. Michelle Hedrich serves as vice chair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elementary Facility Task Force Members

 

Butterfield, Michele                                mbutterfield@maine.rr.com                     774-9663

Parent, Longfellow School

 

Carr, Donna                                           dcarr@portlandmaine.gov                        761-0857

District 3 City Councilor

 

Hedrich, Michelle                                   mhedrich@maine.rr.com             797-0836

Former School Committee Chair, Committee Vice-Chair

 

Holton, Liz                                             eholton@maine.rr.com                           775-6267          

Parent, Presumpscot School

 

Mallory, Kevin                                        mallok@portlandschools.org                   874-8240

Transportation Director, PPS

 

Morrison, Marysue                                 morrim@portlandschools.org                   874-8180

Principal, Nathan Clifford School

 

O’Connor, Mary Jo                                 oconnm@portlandschools.org                 874-8111

Superintendent of Schools, PPS

 

Paulsen, Richard                                   paulsr@portlandschools.org                    874-8125

Finance Director, PPS

 

Sherwood, Douglas                                sherwd@portlandschools.org                  874-5342

Facilities Director, PPS

 

Suslovic, Edward                                   esuslovic@portlandmaine.gov                  772-5615

At Large City Councilor

 

Toothaker, Jason                                   toothj@portlandschools.org                     450-0033

School Committee Member, Committee Chair

 

Turner, David                                         turned@portlandschools.org                    874-8180

Assistant Principal, Nathan Clifford School

 

Wellehan, Jane                                      janewellehan@gwi.net                            871-7103

Parent, Nathan Clifford School

 

Other Important Contacts

Alcorn, Ellen                                          alcore@portlandschools.org                    761-9045

Chair, Portland School Committee

 

Cohen, James                                       jcohen@portlandmaine.gov                     797-9638

District 5 City Councilor, Mayor

 

Gramlich, Lori                                        gramll@portlandschools.org                    878-1317

 District 4 School Committee Member

 

Lachance, Anita                                     arl@portlandmaine.gov                           874-8300          

Assistant City Manger

 

Leeman, Cheryl                                                 cl@portlandmaine.gov                                773-4161

District 4 City Councilor

 

Section 1 – Revisiting the 2002 EFTF Plan

 

 

 

Governing Assumptions

The first task of the current EFTF was to examine the governing assumptions of the original plan to determine if changes would be necessary to guide future plans.[2]

 

The following is a list of governing assumption that the EFTF reviewed at the start of the committee’s deliberations in November 2005. It was agreed to by committee members that economic diversity should be added to the list of Primary Assumptions. The committee further agreed that all further assumptions remained valid.

 

 

Ten year plan to be reviewed in stages based on the following Primary Assumptions:

 

· Fiscal Capacity                                  

· Enrollment Trends                    

· Community Needs                 

· Educational Mandates

· Economic Diversity (Added November 2005)                 

 

 

 

 

Other assumptions include:

 

· Maintaining the Recommendations of the 1997 EFTF Plan

· Reduce the Current Number of Facilities

· Consolidate Students Wherever Possible

· Limit Redistricting

· Maintain Neighborhood Integrity

· Include All Facilities

· Timeline

· Limit School Size

· Provide Adequate Program Sites (FLS, ESL, Sped, etc.). Limit movement.

 

 

 

 

 

Part 1. - Fiscal Capacity

Because the Nathan Clifford School is recognized by the Department of Education as the number one school in the State of Maine needing major capital improvements (which could include replacement or renovation), state funding is assured for this school.[3] The availability of this funding drove much of the process when the task force considered available options. However, because state funding is not immediate, the task force, working with the city, then reviewed the fiscal capacity of the City of Portland to finance any new school construction projects. Provisions in the city’s Ten Year Capital Improvement Plan[4] provides guidance in terms of availability of resources for agreed upon future school construction projects.

 

 

Cost Reductions Related to Closing Elementary Schools[5]

The committee asked for and received extensive data on the operational costs for schools that might be considered for consolidation. These costs are essentially associated with what it takes to keeps the lights on, to heat the building, etc. Custodial staffing was also considered as an operational cost. Additionally, deferred maintenance was tracked separately. While no particular option was recommended, these numbers are readily accessible for future reference to apply to any scenario. Additionally, a cost for the new East End School was established and used as a comparison model for any new construction.

 

Cost Category

Baxter

Clifford

Longfellow

Presumpscot

Reiche

West

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Electricity

$10,500

$22,900

$19,100

$20,200

$76,500

$25,500

Pole Lighting

$900

$2,000

$1,800

$1,300

$3,700

$1,300

Oil

$20,900

$30,200

$27,600

$21,300

$84,200

$43,700

Natural Gas

$0

$0

$0

$0

$48,300

$200

Propane

$0

$0

$0

$2,400

$0

$1,800

Water/Sewer

$1,800

$5,000

$3,800

$4,800

$7,800

$2,800

Telephones

$1,400

$3,300

$3,000

$2,200

$6,000

$2,200

Waste Disposal

$2,747

$6,612

$7,180

$8,496

$16,203

$1,850

Recycling

$300

$600

$500

$400

$1,100

$400

Plowing/Mowing

$1,900

$4,400

$3,900

$2,900

$7,800

$2,900

Pest Management

$0

$468

$0

$516

$1,092

$400

Security

$1,000

$1,000

$1,000

$1,000

$1,000

$1,000

Fire Extinguishers

$250

$250

$250

$250

$250

$250

Maintenance Supplies

$2,500

$5,900

$5,300

$3,900

$10,800

$3,900

Custodial Supplies

$2,700

$6,300

$5,700

$4,200

$11,500

$4,200

Sub-total

$46,897

$88,930

$79,130

$73,862

$276,245

$92,400

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Custodial Staffing

$30,800[6]

$103,000

$119,300

$88,500

$204,200

$80,800

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

$77,697

$191,930

$198,430

$162,362

$480,445

$173,200

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital Costs[7]

$1,280,000

$8,575,000

$9,490,000

$1,125,000

$4,635,000

$800,000

 

Adams / Jack - Operating Costs Comparison With the New East End School

As defined in the chart below, a comparison was done regarding the costs of operating Adams and Jack separately, against those projected operating costs for the new East End School.

 

Cost Category

East End

 

Jack

Adams

Combined

Difference

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Electricity

$36,100

 

$26,800

$14,300

$41,100

$5,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pole Lighting

$3,000

 

$2,000

$900

$2,900

-$100