Framework
The School Consolidation Framework was created as part of the district’s strategic planning process to ensure decisions are thoughtful, transparent, and aligned with community priorities. Developed by the Community Facility Team—a group of parents, staff, students, and community members—this framework incorporates input gathered from surveys, focus groups, and other community feedback to address student and staff needs while charting the district’s educational direction.
Currently, in Phase 3 of the school consolidation process, district administration is using this framework to evaluate which schools may be impacted and determine how school boundaries may need to shift.
Framework Overview
The framework considers several critical factors in two primary stages:
Initial Evaluation: Geography and Facilities
As part of geography, regional zones of the district are identified based on enrollment patterns, population density, how many students live close to the school, and the schools’ capacity.
With facility determinations, the district looks at how many buildings may be impacted; what types of buildings are needed with the current grade band model of grades K-5 for elementary, grades 6-8 for middle schools, and grades 9-12 for high schools; and how classrooms are being used or will need to be used within buildings.
Detailed Evaluation: Building Status, Cost Savings, and Neighborhood Impacts
For building status, the district looks at building condition and the status of major utility systems within the building. Borough input and possible use of a building if it were to close are considered, as well as any alternative uses the district might have for a school building.
Cost savings to be considered include looking at utilities, staffing, the average cost per student, the amount of deferred maintenance the building needs, and the cost of regular maintenance it takes to keep the building running.
Neighborhood impacts are also important. The district looks at how transportation would be impacted by a school closing, how nearby schools would be impacted, and how different socioeconomic student populations would be affected.
Recommended Plan
After thoroughly analyzing the factors outlined in the framework, district administration will present a School Consolidation Plan to the school board. The board will carefully review the plan, consider public feedback, and engage in discussions before making a final decision in February 2025.