Central office staff recommends reopening Eastside as elementary; board weighs busing, costs and special‑education needs

Central office staff told the Cannon County school board during a study session that reopening Eastside School as an elementary (pre‑K–4) and converting the current middle‑school building to a 5–8 configuration is the district’s most viable option.

"Opening Eastside up is the only viable option that we have as a district," Julie, a central office staff member who led the supervisors’ presentations, said as she summarized departmental reports and recommended moving quickly to next steps including consulting engineers and finance staff.

Why it matters: supervisors across departments said reopening Eastside would require targeted upgrades but could reduce student transfers and better meet program needs. Lisa Black, the district transportation supervisor, said Eastside is currently a bus hub served by four buses and that reopening it as a school would likely require a dedicated bus lane and increase daily stops to four or five buses for that site. She said rezoning could yield roughly 260–270 students per elementary school under the plan.

Costs and facilities: Julie relayed an equipment estimate from the technology department that bringing Eastside’s technology up to current standards (replacement Chromebooks, cameras, switches, access control and servers) would run about $25,000. Facilities staff outlined likely renovations including roof and HVAC work, restroom upgrades, a new gym floor, fire‑alarm and safety system updates, sewer evaluation and a new parking lot. The food‑service supervisor recommended expanding cafeteria seating and replacing redistributed kitchen equipment if Eastside reopens.

Program and staffing implications: supervisors said a reopened Eastside would need three pre‑K classrooms designed for preschool use (including appropriate playgrounds and restrooms), additional private office space for school counselors and behavioral‑health liaisons, private offices and locked storage for school resource officers tied to SRO grant requirements, and at least one additional certified PE teacher if the district moves fifth grade into a middle configuration (grades 5–8 have different PE/recess requirements than K–4). Special‑education lead Dr. McCreery said the district currently serves about 84 elementary and 54 middle school special‑education students; she noted the elementary building lacks a true sensory room near classrooms and that bathrooms are not configured for changing tables. She recommended keeping behavior intervention and CDC classrooms co‑located unless the district hires additional CDC teachers.

Funding and next steps: board members asked for more precise financial guidance before public outreach. Several members suggested inviting the finance department—and retired finance officer Applebaum, if available—to a June study session to outline steps, preliminary cost estimates and the procurement path for architects or engineers. Julie and board members noted the need to decide the desired configuration (what grades and program placements each building will host) before soliciting bids or making formal budget requests.

Public engagement and schedule: the board discussed holding a focused public meeting or workshop in June to gather community input once preliminary cost estimates are available; the two potential dates discussed for staff/finance availability were June 15 and June 29. The chair underscored that study sessions are for discussion and that any formal votes would require placement on a public agenda.

What remains unresolved: there was no vote at the session. Several figures referenced in the discussion require clarification or follow‑up: an "original total" cost figure mentioned by a board member (stated as "$2.65" in the session) was not given a unit in the transcript, and supervisors said some numbers (e.g., exact staffing hires and final renovation scope) would only be confirmed after engineering assessments and finance department guidance.

The board closed by thanking supervisors and setting a plan to reach out to finance and possible consultants before the June meetings so the district can present clearer options and cost estimates to the public.