GAIS is Growing!

• Current site permit allows for 300 students/day • We are at our enrollment cap!

• This is not enough to grow in the future

• Alternatives to manage growth are: 1. Revise permit to allow for more students on

current campus; or • Increase to 330 students/day in 2 years

(Year 1 is 315 and Year 2 is 330)

• Increase to 400 students/day in 5 years

2. Find Bigger Campus for entire school; or

3. Find second campus (satellite)

Middle School Enrollment Growth

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Expanding Campus Enrollment to 330 History of Events

Date Activity

< January 2010 GAIS decides to grow middle school and launch IMS

February 2011 GAIS submits application to City of Menlo Park to increase student enrollment 330 students

March Negotiations with City begin; City requests reduction of traffic to allow for growth GAIS performs count of cars in morning/basic traffic study

April GAIS sends city proposal for negotation Traffic Taskforce Formed – 1st letter sent to parents

May GAIS Parent/Staff Traffic Survey Member’s Meeting presentation

June - Current Less Kids = More Cars Program to reduce trips initiated

June & Sept External Traffic Study for City Performed

October Traffic Study Report & Recommendation for number of trips GAIS needs to reduce

Nov - Dec City Hearing to review GAIS request for 330 students

How are we working towards Approval of 330 Students?

• GAIS needs to overcome City political issue of traffic congestion in the Willows Neighborhood of Menlo Park

• If 330 approved, we expect it to be conditional with a limit on the number of car trips per day

• GAIS needs to prove to City that: 1. We can continuously monitor car trips 2. We can accurately report traffic flow 3. We can control, monitor and report to the City the

number of cars coming into the school

• Therefore, Less Cars = More Kids program

Less Cars = More Kids Strategy

• GAIS wants to establish the principle that Menlo Park should allow us to grow if we can offset the traffic impacts.

• Trip Reduction is cheap compared to the alternatives of a new campus for the middle school, preschool, or whole school.

• Carpooling is the cheapest trip reduction measure.

• In 2010-2011, less than 10% of families carpooled to school.

GAIS has lots of carpool potential

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Next Steps

• A GAIS-specific traffic study required by the City of Menlo Park is nearly complete.

• City staff will make recommendations about the GAIS use permit cap to the City Council in Nov. The City Council will hear public comment in Nov.

• More to come….

Optimistic Future

• Obtain a Student Shuttle for Caltrains transport & Field Trips

• Carpooling would become the school culture

• Continue with parking placards and monitoring & reporting car trips to the city going forward