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Taking a hard look at elementary schools with small enrollments while considering an auditorium and outdoor activities area for Warsaw Community High School were just two of the suggestions Monday by the Community-Based Planning Project.
The committee that made the suggestions recommended Warsaw Community Schools should "move toward the optimum in total elementary school enrollment of 500-600 students per school" by relocating students from Atwood and Silver Lake elementaries.
They also suggested the school corporation should remain competitive by providing improved facilities for fine and performing arts at the high school, including adding an auditorium; and by "providing improved onsite physical activity areas at the high school site."
Other suggestions included improving the honors program for students in grades seven through 12; achieving better economic and social balance in elementary schools; continuing to address technology needs aggressively; improving school-to-career and workforce development needs; and continuing to foster parent/student/school relationships that focus on student needs.
The committee also recommended that Warsaw Community Schools should implement the recommendations in "a sound fiscal manner."
Dr. Robert Boyd, of Indiana State University, who helped lead the 50-member committee, emphasized that the recommendations were suggestions only.
"It was our intent to give the board a set of ideas to use for further study and development, for the board to use in setting policies," he said.
The project, which began in November, was undertaken by a committee composed of members from the school, public and business sectors of the community.
The committee members were divided into two subcommittees of approximately 25 members each. One subcommittee focused on enrollment management and one focused on academic programming and facilities. Both subcommittees tackled finances.
The purpose of the committee was to give the school board insight into the priorities of the community that the board could use while setting long-term goals for the school corporation.
The suggestion of relocating students from the Atwood and Silver Lake elementary schools got the most attention at Monday's special school board meeting.
Boyd said the committee recommended the relocation in part because the "shift in the state legislature is beginning to penalize school districts for small school sizes as inefficient."
He also said the recommendations for relocating students weren't intended to save the school corporation money, but to be more efficient.
Board member Charles Sauders, a school teacher, asked Boyd why there was an emphasis on 500 to 600 students per elementary school, and on what data that was based.
Boyd said it was based on data received by the committee and was used because it was a more efficient use of staff and resources.
Sauders said he had taught in a school with a population of more than 500 students, and "it was much too large. Much too large."
The student population dropped to around 350, Sauders said, and the quality of the education improved.
"I hope we don't see too many schools in Warsaw with more than 500 students. It may not be more efficient money-wise, but it's more efficient student-wise," Sauders said.
Most of the community members present who asked questions or gave opinions were from Silver Lake and opposed closing the elementary school there.
One patron asked the board to consider what closing schools would do to small towns.
The board stressed that no decision has been made to close the schools, and board president Craig Allebach said the board would not consider that action without holding board meetings in the targeted schools to get public input.
Committee member Bret Wolf said the committees looked carefully at small schools and appreciated the importance of the schools to the communities.
"Be assured that there is no attempt by this community to sneak something through," he said. "But we can't guarantee there will be no hard changes in the future."
Monday's discussion was based on a large, detailed report by the committee. Because of the size, the report will be available for the public at the WCS administration building, and after school starts, a copy will be available at each school in the district.
School board members are: Craig Allebach, president; Charles Sauders, vice president; Roy Szymanski, board secretary; Brad Brail; Cathy Folk; Dan Robinson; and Larry Chamberlain.
