Last night, the Board of Education and the public received an update about the plans for Dennis and Garfield students for the 2023-2024 school year.
The schools were closed on May 31st, one day after the school year ended, due to structural concerns.
The initial plans were to move Dennis 7th & 8th graders to Stephen Decatur, while K-6 would take over the Garfield Building, with the addition of a modular unit containing 6 classrooms.
After staff and parents advocated, the Board approved up to $2 million to order three modular units containing 16 classrooms.
This will provide 31 total classrooms when added to Garfield's original 15, which provides more than 3 classrooms per grade-level, and allows all of Dennis K-8, about 560 kids, to be on the same campus.
Garfield students, about 60 kids, ranging from K-12 will be moved to a separate wing at Stephen Decatur Middle School, containing 11 classrooms and amenities.
Stephen Decatur will have a Garfield-only entrance on the north and StephenD-only entrance on the south. "A door will be installed to separate the hallways," according to the District so the two student populations don't mix.
The District expects Dennis modular installations to be completed August 31st, with final move in on September 3rd. I am awaiting response from the District to confirm details of school start date
The District FAQ says before and after-school programs will be offered to Dennis students.
Modern classroom technology (internet, etc), and internal and external security cameras will be installed in/on the modular classrooms. All visitors are expected to go through the main entrance, though the District did not make clear how modular classrooms will be secured.
Bussing will be available for students & the District plans to send a survey to parents to see who needs bussing.
A playground will be added at Garfield - Buildings & Grounds staff are expected to break ground today, and the playground is already in stock, according to Kent Metzger, the Director of Buildings.
The Dennis athletics program will remain in tact.
Classroom assignments will be determined by Garfield and Dennis administrators.
The old buildings
Kent Metzger says experts have been out to look at the original Dennis and former French buildings, but that they only have preliminary info, and are awaiting final reports. Metzger acknowledged the community's interest in transparency, and said he wants to make sure they get everything factually correct & present a complete plan to the public.
The District is planning a detailed analysis of all buildings in the District, and there was discussion whether future plans for Dennis/French should be part of the District-wide planning, or if those buildings should be addressed on their own.
Dr. Clark said it should be part of the District-wide planning. Board Member Al Scheider advocated for Dennis/French to be addressed on their own.
Concerns about Garfield students
Krista Hudson, a department chair and teacher at Garfield, says 11 classrooms are not enough - that 13 are needed.
Garfield may be limited to 1 hour of gym time per day, and Hudson says this is not enough, concerned about kids needing recess during winter months and 1 hour not being enough for a full PE curriculum for K-12.
Hudson is concerned the junior high and high school students "won't get any gym access at all" with "the way our schedule stands," which she says they need for their "physical and their mental health."
Not enough principals
Hudson is also concerned that "our principle has resigned," and says "we need somebody to steer our school," while going through "this great transition that we're going through, yet again," she stresses. Hudson says "this is our second building in two years that we've lost."
Colleen Veitengruber, a math teacher at Dennis, shared Hudson's concerns about administration, saying Dennis admins last year were "overworked," had to "hop between two buildings," and were "being asked to do too much under the circumstances."
According to Veitengruber, Superintendent Dr. Rochelle Clark said it was a 'necessary item to have a second head principal', in addition to the two assistant principals for 2023-2024.
Veitengruber understands a second head principal may not be needed now that all students are on one campus, but is concerned that "we are losing an assistant principal," which "we [found] out during a board packet drop, without prior notification."
Moving Belongings
There have also been concerns about teachers moving belongings. Brianna Pearson, a Dennis Math teacher, said teachers have received mixed information.
Pearson says that section C teachers (teachers with classrooms that are unsafe to enter) were told they would have personal belongings moved for them, but were later told no personal belongings would be moved, and now those belongings are taking up space in staffs' garages.
Pearson says she was told, and Dr. Clark later confirmed, that District officials could not make workers move personal belongings due to union contract.
Pearson says there are questions about compensation for room teardown, moving, room setup, and reimbursements for lost or damaged items.
The July 12th District FAQ says "Compensation is being discussed with the unions and will be communicated to staff upon final agreement."
With regard to moving personal items, the District FAQ states "[Buildings & Grounds] will do their best to move items. B&G will consider all items 'containerized' by B&G to be DPS property. As such, B&G will handle and transport those items with professionalism and respect."
We have also received a tip that funds for boxes and tape, for moving Garfield to Stephen Decatur, are coming out of the Garfield budget. We have reached out to Dr. Clark and Chief Communications Officer Denise Swarthout for comment.
Garfield had a $5,071 budget for 2022-2023.
Transparency
There have been ongoing concerns about transparency. I, Reed Sutman, spoke about this last night, and have previously written about it.
Jake Tolbert, the parent of an eighth grader, says "there's this sense that the school board is like, bad guys who are keeping secrets" and "this is your chance to shatter that, that conception."
We're working a more detailed story on transparency, and will cover this in the future.
Useful Links
- Board of Education Members - If you wish to advocate or ask questions
- July 11th Dennis Plan
- July 11th Board Meeting Video
- July 11th Board Agenda
- DPS Information on Dennis
- DPS FAQ on Dennis/Garfield
- Dennis School students will likely have a late start to their school year - Herald & Review report
- DPS61 Misled You and Avoided Questions - Decatur Vote report on transparency
- Dennis Schools Structural Issues - Decatur Vote's catalogue of reporting & sources