July 12, 2023 FTF

July 12, 2023

The meeting started with new Superintendent Todd Sanders welcoming the approximately 35 attendees and the 21 Task Force members.

Mary Martin highlighted various issues identified through previous staff and community forums, including teacher shortages, inequitable class sizes, transportation/driver shortages, aging buildings, student needs, and rising costs. Among these concerns, the aging buildings emerged as a significant priority, impacting other themes as well. The limited budget capacity has hindered comprehensive infrastructure improvements, with only partial upgrades and repairs being possible so far. The fall failure of a boiler at Minot and the need for heating system replacements at other schools further emphasized the urgency for action. A referendum for funding heating system replacements was defeated in May. The Board recognized the need for further study and strong community input to address these issues effectively. As a result, a Task Force was formed to explore future options and present recommendations to the Board in September.

Amy Hediger reviewed key themes from the Staff Meeting and Community Forums.. These include improving compensation and benefits for staff, optimizing transportation by consolidating schools and revising bus routes, implementing better building and resource management practices such as maintenance schedules and potential school consolidation, and considering grade level configuration changes to enhance student learning and reduce costs. These themes reflect the areas of focus for addressing concerns raised by the staff and community.

Jenny Rose, Erik Anderson, Shawn Vincent, Jessica Madsen, and Kaitlynn Brown presented one of the four scenarios. They shared pros and cons on behalf of the Task Force and shared themes from the recent staff/community survey.

Next, Randy Lautz used Google Earth to guide participants on a virtual tour of our RSU 16 community. He pointed out the various schools and Central Office, their locations, available acreage, access to 3-phase power, and walking trails connecting the community to its school.

John Hawley and Bob Klar discussed the findings of the Functional Capacity Sub-Group, focusing on the square footage of each of the three elementary schools. They highlighted that based on their initial assessment, ESS or PCS could not be accommodated within the existing MCS building due to space limitations.

Kaitlynn Brown and D'Arcy Robinson assisted in collecting questions from the attendees. Some questions could be answered immediately, while others will be addressed by the Task Force at a later time through a FAQ document published for all.

Attendees were given an Exit Ticket to share any additional questions they had and request further information. They were also asked to narrow down the scenarios from 4 to 3 and provide a reason for their reduction choice.

Next steps for the Task Force will be to assess the budget impact of different scenarios and evaluate elementary educational opportunities not currently available in RSU 16. They will narrow down the number of scenarios based on substantiated reasoning and analyze the Capital Improvement Plan to determine the funding needed for addressing past and current needs. Additionally, they will implement a Public Relations plan to effectively communicate their findings and plans to the public.