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Valuing Learning Environments:Providing Sufficient Capacity in Facilities and

ResourcesPresentation to

Citizens Capital Budget Advisory CommitteeJune 27, 2012

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Fast Facts

• CMS is the 18th largest school district in the United States, with a 2011-12 population of more than 140,000 PreK-12 students in 159 schools

• There are 866 modular/mobile classrooms currently in use, down from a high of 1254

• Net growth will result in an expected 2021-22 population of 153,000 PreK-12 students

• By 2019, CMS must build 34 new schools to accommodate growth and eliminate all mobile/modular classrooms

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Purpose

The Ten Year Capital Needs Assessment places in priority order the complete list of capital projects required by the school system for the next decade:

- Academic- Administrative/Support

These projects address student population growth,

scheduled renovations, various legal mandates, and internally-generated initiatives:

- New Learning Environments- Existing Learning Environments- Improving Learning Environments

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• Addressing the most significant overcapacity situations first.

• Renovating those classrooms and schools with the greatest need.

• Ensuring that we meet mandates required by local, state, and federal laws.

• Implementing internally-generated initiatives that assist in the delivery of a 21st Century education.

Success

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Considerations

• Weighted student staffing• Projected enrollments• Baseline design:

– 39 classrooms for elementary– 57 classrooms for middle– 100 classrooms for high

• Current ten month calendar• Four period day at secondary schools• Superintendent’s Standards Review Committee

recommendations

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County Population and Student Enrollment Projections

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 20210

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

county populationenrollment

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Methodology

• Transportation Analysis Zone (TAZ) student yields

• Classroom teacher allotments from prior year (includes EC and Pre-K teachers, excludes certain teachers at specific grade levels)

• Classroom counts @ elementary, and adjusted counts @ middle and high, to account for floating teachers in general education classrooms

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Existing Learning Environments

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Existing Learning Environments

• Approximately 21,000,000 square feet of buildings in inventory

• Year over year data:– 90 year life cycle

• Age• Condition

– Cost to operate & maintain

• Community perception• Impacts on Student Performance

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Existing Learning Environments

• “Once every 30 years”

• 33 ES, 10 MS, 7 HS

• More than “sticks & bricks”

• Complexity (swing spaces, etc.)

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Existing Learning Environments

• Electrical• HVAC• Plumbing• Roofing• Paving & Sitework• Playgrounds• Stadiums, Fields, and Tracks

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Existing Learning Environments

• 113 projects• $716,886,125

– (2011 dollars)• 39% of the total

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New Learning Environments

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New Learning Environments

• 39 CR ES, 57 CR MS, 100 CR HS• Evolving Pre-K – 8 model• Year over year data:

– Student enrollment projections (district level)– Student enrollment projections (school level)– Staffing levels– Rezonings/Permits

• Community Perception• Impacts on Student Performance

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New Learning Environments

Capacity is determined by comparing the number of classroom teachers assigned to an elementary school against the number of total teaching stations available at that school. Student population is not a factor.

At a “baseline” elementary school, the number of teaching stations is 39, one for each classroom.

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New Learning Environments

When an elementary school requires 14 additional classrooms, it is considered to be overcapacity.

When an elementary school reaches a deficit of 20 additional classrooms, a new elementary school must be opened to relieve the overcapacity situation.

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New Learning Environments

At a middle school, capacity is determined by comparing the number of classroom teachers assigned to a school against the number of adjusted teaching stations available at that school. This anticipates that each classroom is in use by students all four periods of the day.

Each classroom teacher has three periods with students, and one period for planning. The classroom teacher leaves the room for his/her planning block, thereby allowing another class of students to “float” in. Student population is not a factor.

At a “baseline” middle school, the number of adjusted teaching stations is 72 if all classrooms are floated.

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New Learning Environments

When a middle school has all but 9 teaching stations in use by students every period, it is considered to be overcapacity.

When a middle school reaches a deficit of 1 additional teaching station, a new middle school should be opened to relieve the overcapacity situation. This indicates that there are no teaching stations available to be floated.

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New Learning Environments

At a high school, capacity is determined by comparing the number of classroom teachers assigned to a school against the number of adjusted teaching stations available at that school. This anticipates that each classroom is in use by students all four periods of the day.

Each classroom teacher has three periods with students, and one period for planning. The classroom teacher leaves the room for his/her planning block, thereby allowing another class of students to “float” in. Student population is not a factor.

At a “baseline” high school, the number of adjusted teaching stations is 130 if all classrooms are floated.

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New Learning Environments

When a high school has all but 10 teaching stations in use by students every period, it is considered to be overcapacity.

When a high school reaches a deficit of 1 additional teaching station, a new high school should be opened to relieve the overcapacity situation. This indicates that there are no teaching stations available to be floated.

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New Learning Environments

• 52 projects• $1,046,102,954

– (2011 dollars)• 56% of the total

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Improving Learning Environments

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Improving Learning Environments

• Externally imposed or internally generated

• Year over year data:– Student placement (EC, Pre-K)– Facility condition– Deferred maintenance budget

• Community Perception

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Improving Learning Environments

• Instructional Technology– 21st Century Classroom– Career and Technical Education

• Indoor Air Quality• Asbestos Removal• Surveillance Upgrades• ADA• Rain Garden Maintenance

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Improving Learning Environments

• 32 projects• $96,179,001

– (2011 dollars)• 5% of the total

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Prioritization

Each of these criteria are weighted:• Health and Safety • Legal Mandates • Continuity • Capacity – Immediate, short term, and

long term• Lifecycle Replacements • Mandates & Initiatives

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Prioritization

Project Categories are given a number based on order of importance.

List of Capital Needs assembled, grouped by type, and prioritized within the category.

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Prioritization

The Calculation The numerator =

The sum of all of theWeighted Criteria

The denominator =The product of the

Category Number multiplied by theCategory Priority for each project

The quotient =The Priority Score

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Prioritization

Total Weighted Criteria Score Category Number X Category Priority

= Priority Quotient

All Projects sorted in descending order by Priority Quotient

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Capital Needs Assessment

• Assumptions confirmed?

• $1.86B unescalated– 187 projects

• 2013 Bond Referendum?– Mecklenburg County Rubric

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Valuing Learning Environments:Providing Sufficient Capacity in Facilities and

Resources