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Board members report school visits highlighting accessibility and staffing needs at older buildings
Summary
Board members described visits to Wilmore, Highland Acres and Roosevelt that raised accessibility concerns at older buildings, high student mobility, and local staffing patterns; one Wilmore principal cited lack of elevator access and the need for additional aides.
Board members reported on recent school visits at the Jan. 13 meeting, describing conditions and program efforts at older district buildings that board members said need attention for accessibility, staffing and student supports.
Board member Presky described a visit to Wilmore, a district building constructed in 1951, and said the school lacks full handicap access, including an elevator. Presky recounted that a fifth-grade student who broke a leg last year could not reach upstairs classrooms and missed school, and that the school has had staff and students who could not access upper-level classrooms because of medical limitations.
Presky said Wilmore has a high-mobility student population and serves families from shelters and sober-living homes; principal Jill Vallejo described a student population that includes 36 kindergarteners, five nonverbal kindergarteners and at least one student who requires two full-time aides. Presky said staff discussed using a pool of additional aides that could shift to classrooms as needs change during the year.
"They were definitely in need of some safer equipment around the school," Presky said, describing deferred-maintenance and accessibility needs at Wilmore.
Board members also described visits to Highland Acres and Roosevelt, two single-section schools where principals and staff use student-led projects and cross-grade work to develop life skills and cultural awareness. Board members noted the district commonly rotates specialist staff (for example, physical education, nurses and custodial staff) across multiple small schools and described that practice as both a strength and a challenge for single-section buildings.
The board highlighted the value of school ambassador programs, student-led projects and community engagement while noting the older schools may require prioritized capital or maintenance work to address accessibility and safety.
No formal action was taken during the meeting on capital improvements; board members said these visits inform future budget and facilities discussions.
