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Board continues review of Walden school options, asks staff for targeted studies
Summary
Board members debated options for Walden Elementary — including reopening Maybrook, reconfiguring grade spans (Princeton‑style model), buying land, and community engagement — and asked central staff to gather cost, enrollment and feasibility data for several next steps.
Board members returned to the future of Walden Elementary during Monday’s meeting and asked central office to conduct targeted fact‑finding on several options raised by the Walden committee and the public.
The board did not make any final decisions but directed staff to compile specific information the trustees said they need to evaluate different pathways: a T‑shirt estimate to reopen Maybrook as an elementary school; enrollment and catchment modeling for multiple grade‑span configurations (including the so‑called Princeton model); and cost/feasibility data about raising the building footprint to free outdoor space. Several trustees also asked staff to propose low‑cost methods for broader community engagement to improve public awareness ahead of any possible capital proposals.
Why it matters: Walden’s condition and the district’s facility choices affect students, families and budgets across the district. Trustees said the objective of the follow‑up work is to provide board members enough information to form a view about whether to pursue renovation, repurpose existing space, or propose a voter‑funded capital plan.
Details requested from staff - Maybrook reuse: a high‑level estimate of what it would take to bring Maybrook into current code/education standards for an elementary program (T‑shirt estimate) and an enrollment scenario for K–5 vs. alternate grade spans. - Princeton/same‑grade model: a staff report describing how same‑grade schools (e.g., K–2, 3–5 or K–3 / 4–6 configurations) would operate in Valley Central, and modeling showing enrollment and capacity impacts on Walden and other buildings. - Community engagement: a brief plan that outlines lawful outreach options (presentations, open houses, informational materials) and clarifies what the district can and cannot do at each stage (the board asked staff to avoid poll‑style asks that seek votes in a non‑permissible format). - Site options: conceptual estimates of how much outdoor space could be recovered by building vertically (same site) versus a new site purchase; trustees asked for a simple “back of napkin” yardage/footprint comparison to evaluate tradeoffs.
Board direction and limits Board members emphasized two limitations: (1) no decisions have been made on property swaps, gifts or other acquisition strategies; and (2) some items (for example, proof of need to receive SED building aid) require data the district does not currently have. Trustees asked staff only to gather the next‑level information required to evaluate options and to return with clear cost/schedule estimates rather than firm design work.
Ending Staff will present the requested modeling and cost comparisons to the board at a later meeting; the board said Walden will remain a recurring agenda item while the information is assembled.
