Board approves $52,000 contract to launch community task force and long-range facility plan
Summary
The Stevens Point Area Public School District board authorized a 45–50-member community task force and a professional-services contract (not to exceed $52,000) with MD Rockhurst Consulting to develop long-range facility options, phasing and enrollment-driven scenarios. The board debated selection, membership, and timeline before passing the measure.
The Stevens Point Area Public School District board voted Jan. 12 to authorize creation of a 45–50 member community task force and to enter a professional-services agreement with MD Rockhurst Consulting not to exceed $52,000 to guide a long-range facility planning process.
Consultants described a six-task process that includes recruiting a broadly representative task force, running about nine task-force meetings, evaluating up to eight facility-options, and producing a phased, multi-year preferred option. The presentation emphasized community-driven decisions about attendance-area changes, grade-group shifts and building utilization strategies, with short-term, medium-term and long-term phasing through January 2027.
Board members pressed consultants on membership and selection. The firm recommended recruiting roughly 40–50 members (around 45 ideal) drawn from three buckets — parents with children in the district, taxpayers without current student ties, and staff/teachers — with applications solicited through the district’s communications channels. Consultants said they would work with the board to draft the task-force charge and evaluation criteria and expected periodic check-ins with the board for clarifications.
On funding, administrators said an unexpected early-literacy professional-development reimbursement of $51,870 could be used to cover most of the consultant fee. The motion that authorized the contract and task-force creation passed by voice vote.
Next steps: administration will work with the consultants to finalize the task-force recruitment plan, set meeting dates and return to the board with recommended task-force charge language and proposed meeting schedule ahead of the initial meetings.
