East Stroudsburg superintendent outlines RLPS feasibility study, asks board to narrow options
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Summary
Superintendent Dr. Patelli presented a feasibility study by RLPS that examines building use, enrollment trends and five options for district configuration; she said the board will be asked in March or April to select about two options for further study and emphasized no decisions would be made at the work session.
Superintendent Dr. Patelli presented the districtfeasibility study and the process that led to it, saying the goal was to examine building utilization, enrollment trends and possible programmatic options before the board commits to any significant capital or boundary changes. She said RLPS was selected after an RFP and interview process and that the contract was $24,500 with a $4,000 option for up to three focus-group meetings.
"This is the beginning of this process," Patelli said, urging the board and public that the work session was informational only and that no action would be taken that night. She said the district has held monthly steering-committee meetings with cabinet administrators and RLPS and that a bound feasibility report is being mailed to board members this week.
The study lays out five options that range from status quo to various redistricting and building-configuration scenarios. Patelli said the purpose of the next phase is to narrow the field: "My goal in March or April would be for the board to either select 2 of the options that we've proposed," she said, adding that status quo remains a valid choice.
Board members questioned the participation rate and design of the public survey used to inform the study. Patelli said RLPS helped build the survey and that a revised questionnaire launched at a town hall; she acknowledged response rates were lower than desired and said the district will present more detailed survey results at the next public meeting.
Patelli also noted differences in enrollment counts across data sources and asked staff to produce consistent numbers for any redistricting analysis. She emphasized the districtis not making decisions yet and asked the board for direction on which options to study in greater detail.
The board did not vote on any option. Patelli said next steps include delivering the full RLPS report to board members, producing maps and precise enrollment counts for proposed boundary changes, and returning to the board with two or three narrowed options for deeper cost and schedule analysis.