Board directs planning for grade reconfiguration and KH expansion, sets earliest target of 2028
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Summary
The board authorized staff to develop a plan and design for moving to a K–5/6–8 grade configuration and to study expanding KH to serve larger middle-school enrollment, with staff estimating 2028 as the earliest feasible date.
The Board of Education voted to move forward with planning for a district grade reconfiguration to a K–5 and 6–8 model and asked staff to develop a design and cost estimate for expanding KH so it could accommodate more students.
Interim Superintendent Josh Guy opened the discussion by asking the board whether it wanted staff to develop a plan and said staff would “need action giving us direction to come to you with kind of a plan.” He described curriculum and personnel challenges posed by the current mix of K–4 and K–6 buildings and told the board that making grade structures uniform would simplify staffing and curriculum alignment.
Board members and staff discussed program differences between elementary sites and intermediate centers, noting that band, orchestra and some electives are offered only at the intermediate centers. The board also discussed building capacity and condition. Staff reported KH current capacity figures in the meeting — roughly 470–475 students at KH when near capacity, and about 780–800 students at Horsegood — and said the KH dome/gym, which receives heavy use, was an important facility while any larger construction would likely be a later phase.
On timing, staff said the earliest realistic target for implementing the reconfiguration would be 2028 if the board chooses to move forward: “My best guess would be 2028 would be the earliest that I see this happening,” an official told the board. Board members stressed the need for broad staff, principal and community engagement and said the implementation path should be methodical to avoid repeatedly moving students because of boundary changes.
A board member moved and another seconded a motion directing staff to proceed with planning and to return with design and cost estimates for KH; the motion passed by voice/hand vote.
The board and staff identified next steps: form a committee or planning group that includes principals, staff and community members; define facility and capacity needs for KH; estimate costs for an expansion or renovation; and evaluate required changes at intermediate centers if they are converted to elementary schools. Staff warned that conversion work at intermediate centers would carry modest costs (playground equipment, fencing and other child-appropriate modifications) and that a significant KH expansion could require larger funding steps such as a bond depending on the final scope.
