Reconfiguration forum draws more than 70 people to DMACC

“Bond issues are about buildings. Reconfiguration is about people.”

That’s one of the last things Newton Community School District Board President Sheri Benson said near the conclusion of Thursday night’s public forum about possible reconfiguration.

The latest in a yearlong series of meetings and forums on the topic lasted more than two and a half hours, and many of the teachers, parents and others who came to the Newton’s DMACC campus brought critical questions. There were more than 70 people at Thursday’s meeting. A similar forum is slated for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the same location.

The format involved a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation by Superintendent Bob Callaghan, followed by a breakup into about nine table groups.

Those groups helped formulate questions for note cards, and school board members helped weed out duplicates and common themes. Benson then read about 15 separate questions and allowed Callaghan and other administrators to help answer questions out loud.

Callaghan also entertained follow-up questions, although Benson worked fervently to limit the length of his responses and get on to more questions. Each table was equipped with brochures, showing three different configuration options for kindergarten through the fourth grade, along with a single packet of statistics, survey results and district student enrollment data.

The topics of the questions ranged from preschool to how many Title I teachers would be at each school to whether the three proposals presented were the only options available.

“This isn’t ‘The Rules According to Bob Callaghan,” the superintendent said in his introductory remarks. “This is research-driven. Studies show which class sizes and combinations work best. We’re limited, somewhat, by our resources and our buildings, but we are, by no means, stuck with only a few options. These are just the ones we’ve come up with so far.”

After voting to pursue a new reconstruction and bond issue for the Berg School Complex at its Jan. 12 meeting, as well as returning the historic Emerson Hough building to “educational facility” status after closing it to regular classes five years ago, the board took a step in a different direction on Feb. 9.

That’s when the board voted 4-3 to reject a motion to designate Berg as grades 5 through 8, and agreed to go back to the public to educate about reconfiguration options, and to get more feedback.

“If we don’t reconfigure, what will go into the Hough building?” was one of the questions Callaghan read aloud. His response was that preschool and the AEA offices will likely remain there, unless there is an obvious destination and reason to move those.

The superintendent didn’t hesitate on any question except one: “Do we have enough money to pay teachers if we need to hire more?” After a long pause, and jokingly asking if anyone else wanted to take the question, he pointed out how categorical and earmarked funding can be, aside from general funding.

The November purchase of the former Hy-Vee building was made with funds that can only be used for those purposes, for example, and Callaghan said he absolutely wants to avoid any type of layoffs of teachers or bus drivers or any other employees.

Not all questions were as complex or daunting. The first question of the night was about which school year reconfiguration could take place, with Callaghan replying that 2016-17 would be the earliest, and another question about ideal minimum square footage of a classroom, which he said is 950.

There were several questions and much dialogue about collaboration and “support” teachers, such as co-teachers, Title I and special education teachers.

Newton PTA Vice President Deana Gast asked a question about why the Berg Complex couldn’t keep its current grades K-3 and 7-8 halves until the new building is completed.

Callaghan said that if the bond went to a vote in September — or, more likely, next February, as September seems very aggressive at this point — there will need to be a design phase of at least three months, followed by about two years of construction. He said it would be helpful to know which grades the school is for, before it is taken to the voters for a multi-million dollar bond vote.

The board is scheduled to hold a budget workshop tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Hough conference room, with the public allowed to attend but not to speak. The board’s next regular meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at Emerson Hough.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com.