Take a moment and visualize the chaos of hundreds more grade school children roaming the hallways of USD 383’s buildings. That vision is expected to be a reality in five years’ time. Manhattan-Ogden officials and administrators heard the results of a long range facilities study at a work session before Wednesday night’s board meeting.
RSP and Associates of Kansas City, Mo., was selected as an architectural partner last fall as the result of an extensive selection process. CEO Robert Schwarz was at the Robinson Education Center last night where he detailed his findings in a four part presentation.
While the status of Fort Riley may be continuously in limbo, Schwarz indicated the National Bio- and Agridefense Facility in Manhattan will be a boon for both the economy and the population. Five-thousand new jobs may come to Manhattan by 2021, Schwarz said. This calls for an 8.7-percent enrollment increase, or 500 students. Due to a incoming generation of millennial parents, and the constant influx of young Fort Riley soldiers, most of these enrollment increases will be noticed at the elementary levels for now.
Schwarz described the district’s current predicament using the “pig in a snake model,” where the smallest classes are in the high school while the lower elementary grades continue to get bigger. According to Schwarz’s findings, many of the district’s buildings are operating at or near their capacity, which raises the question of how to organize the schools, or possibly fund renovations and construction projects.
Schwarz said most future expansion in the community can be expected in Blue Township, and is largely dependent on the housing market along with the buying power of millennials. Due to fluctuating economic variables, Schwarz said his forecasts usually air on the conservative side. If all goes well, Schwarz said, his projection may be wrong and USD 383 may be looking at larger increases.
“We’re looking at some of the unknowns with K-State and Fort Riley, tempered with what we know with NBAF and some of the spin-offs that will occur,” Schwarz said. “I feel this is a very likely projection.
During the regular board meeting, the board approved the calendar for the 2017-2018 school year. After some controversy, assistant superintendent Eric Reid clarified the district will continue having classes on Veteran’s Day in order to ensure students are participating in the annual parade. Lew Faust, director of finance, also gave a brief update on legislative matters. Two school finance formulas are being discussed in Topeka at the moment, Faust said. Board members agreed they would rather see another year of block grants than have legislators rush a new formula.
“The block grants could last for another year,” said board member Aaron Estabrook. “A bad formula would impact an entire generation.”
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