Worcester building changes

The backup is here.
Foley recuses himself as he's a board member of the Y
UPDATE: Scott O'Connell covers this here. 




Rodrigues: RFPs sent out primarily for Chandler Elementary for extra space
 O'Connell asked if we'd truly explored all of our resources in house
have been investigating different possibilities, particularly to get Chandler Elementary in one building
complex issues with staffing, principals, "imposes a lot of challenges"
to move Chandler into Fanning
"of course by making that move...will initiate a chain of changes"
Chandler Elementary continues to grow expodentially since Level 4 in 2010
New Citizens Center is in New Ludlow Street School and is outgrowing it
both it and Adult Learning to Chandler El building
Challenge (7&8) to New Ludlow Street
Reach (high school) would merge with Creamer Center
Child Study would go to PIC
PIC to DAB's first floor
"the strengths of this plan: Chandler would have a school of it's own...NCC would have room for the growing population...Challenge would have more room for expansion there...would bring PIC to DAB...eliminate two step for parents...if they have business with ELL or sped"
"many advantages associated with this move"
introduced to all the people associated with this move
great questions asked by a number of people
doing site visits over the next couple of weeks; "see if they can see themselves in that building...what are the benefits, what are the assets"
distributed floor plans, scheduling time for that to occur
"primarily Chandler Elementary and NCC"
Jessica Boss, principal of Chandler Elementary
acknowledge staff who have come to support this
challenges in main building, as well as satellite site
current enrollment is 515 student, steady increase over past few years
was in high 200's to low 300's
since 2010, have continued to grow
growth is almost as large as some of the smaller elementary schools
losing 50 6th grades, incoming 80 students: 545 for next year
have 18 classrooms; 1 connected to modular unit; library split into 2 classroom
have 4 classrooms at Y
need 2 more classrooms for growing population
housing a lot of staff for ELL and sped: services done in offices, open spaces
some in closets, some in hallways
gym and cafeteria is one space; no gym during lunch
no computer lab
extremely challenging to have library in a hallway
have been unable to have a preschool program: most kids in K have had no prior school experience
students and staff separated by satellite building; parent pickup in two buildings
parent workshops are a stress
"simple daily things that you don't think about is an issue"
recess is a process and a challenge
one nurse, visits satellite twice a day
common planning time for teachers in a Level 4 school is a must
challenge for teachers to get together
those at the Y feel isolated and have lost a sense of community
Fanning large enough to support increased enrollment; gym, cafeteria, library, computer lab
building management stabilized and coherent
"services will be immediate" for nurse, ELL, sped
can expand into preschool
"we feel strongly that all of our children should remain with us"
"they love coming to school and we love having them"
principal New Citizen Center Steven Alzamora
all students come from trauma; now average class size is 27 students
close to many more students
close to city hospital for immunization
access to adult ed for overage students
growing building to meet needs of all students
could have a library (don't have one)
summer school buyback; connection with adult education
Lisa Houlihan, principal at Burncoat Middle
middle school has lost spots for kids who can't make it in a large middle school
alternative program needs spaces
"currently have between 6 and 8 slots per middle school"
"if students don't make it out of middle school in two years, they're less likely to make it out high school in four years"
"often see students who leave the Challenge Academy and go onto high school and go through in four years"

Biancheria: being told about moving an entire school
thank principal for all the advantages
Fanning Building is an older building, concerned about heat, windows
"there are many advantages to moving to a different building"
no place to play, parking space
play space is a hill
"wonderful that we're taking a step...coming up with alternative ideas...answers to some of our questions"
gang member in one building, gang member in another building; challenge when you put them under the same roof
"think that something unfortunate is going to happen"
questions about Parent Information Center moving to DAB
not on a bus line; atmosphere, would be in the basement of the building
"has the parking, it's on the bus line" (it doesn't have parking; there's only parking on the street, as there would be at Irving Street)
"perhaps we need to look at redistricting the area"

O'Connell: concern that we look to see what we actually have for space
make them optimal or at least make them functional
room to grow
address multiple areas of need, accommodate them in a multiple ways
three dimensional puzzle or Rubik's cube
"may not be an ideal solution, but an optimal solution"
administration remain flexible
start very much appreciate the start

Monfredo: priority to deal with overcrowding at Chandler Elementary
open dialogue on proposal
Fanning "would need a substantial investment"
no playground, steep stairs, handicap access
has he been in some of our other elementary schools?
"as far as the Parent Information Center, DAB's too small"
"there's no way that the center office could accommodate it in that small area"

Petty thanks for providing the report
innovative and something we should look at 
"thought principal Boss spoke very eloquently...put the kids under one roof"
"a lot of challenges in that building"
"we all want to look at it and see what the challenges are"
"what's good about it, too, is we're using existing schools"
a lot of work to do