Board hears long‑range planning options: tuition pre‑K, small‑school pilots and calls for audited fiscal analysis

Trustees spent more than an hour discussing long‑range facility planning and possible “innovative academy” approaches to address under‑enrolled campuses and shifts in district enrollment. Administration presented a three‑tier framework — ground (short‑term), airplane (mid‑term) and satellite (long‑term) — and recommended evaluating several strategies. Ground options included building on existing programs such as Early College and New Hope High School; mid‑term ideas included tuition‑based pre‑K and small‑school models; longer‑term satellite options would require major capital investment or bond funding. Trustees concentrated on the mid‑term small‑school concept — a set of options to repurpose under‑utilized buildings to smaller, locally tailored campus models, share specialists across nearby campuses and explore tuition‑based early learning that could generate revenue. Board members raised equity questions — specifically how shared or micro‑school models would ensure consistent access to special‑education services, counseling and other supports districtwide — and asked for student‑outcome evidence from comparable districts. Trustees directed administration to produce: (1) a campus‑level, audited financial analysis of closing vs. repurposing options; (2) staffing‑model scenarios that show how services could be provided if campus staff were shared or centralized; and (3) contingency plans tied to legislative outcomes and bond timing. Several trustees asked for an independent third‑party review before the board considers any vote. No program changes were approved. Board members said the next steps are an administrative package of audited numbers and options that the board can evaluate at the May 29 meeting and in subsequent workshops.