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Board discusses master facilities, freshman busing and schedules facilities committee for first/third Tuesdays
Summary
Board members debated transportation trade-offs, a forthcoming Paul Fallon community survey and where Central High School should sit on the master facilities plan. The board agreed to hold facilities committee meetings on the first and third Tuesdays, generally 9 a.m.–11 a.m., and to interview architect finalists in person; RFPs are due Jan. 31.
The Lakota Board of Education discussed master facilities priorities, transportation and committee scheduling at its Jan. 27 meeting. Dr. Whiteley told the board that master facilities deliberations are tied closely to programming and transportation choices as the district moves freshmen from a separate campus onto the main high school campus.
Dr. Whiteley said staff will add a question to an upcoming statistically representative Paul Fallon survey to ask how the community prioritizes programming, transportation and facility needs. She reported preliminary busing data that showed "around 77% of freshmen are taking advantage of busing," a figure she said staff are verifying by matching rosters to actual ridership.
The superintendent also said Central High School is not currently delineated as a permanent project on the master facilities plan and that the board will need to decide whether Central should be a separate building, attached to another building, or a "school within a school." She said architect proposals are due Jan. 31 and that in-person interviews will follow; Julie and Kelly will serve as the board's standing representatives on the interview team.
Board members spent significant time choosing committee meeting days and times. After several proposals and consideration of outside stakeholders' availability, members agreed to schedule the facilities committee on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, generally 9 a.m.–11 a.m. Dr. Whiteley noted that meeting times will be shared in a board update and added to calendars once finalized.
Board members emphasized the need to balance customer service and fiscal responsibility when evaluating transportation options and to rely on the upcoming survey and more detailed data before making final decisions on high-school busing or facility placement for Central.
Julie (Board member) and other board members said they want a clear process and thresholds for decisions such as staffing or program placement across differing school sizes. Dr. Whiteley said this alignment discussion will inform both staffing models and facilities planning as the district develops its strategic direction.
No final policy was adopted at the meeting; staff will use the survey results and architect interviews to refine recommendations for future board action.
