By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The USD 308 Board of Education took time to further discuss the district’s work with RSP and possible solutions from the research it has gathered. RSP made the presentation to the board this past June, and the consulting firm and the Hutchinson Unified Superintendents Advisory Committee, or HUSAC, have been going over the data.
In the presentation, RSP talked about everything from enrollment, to housing, to where most of the current and future students live. The study was being done to see where the district may go in the future.
“We tried to get the board to give us some parameters and general thoughts,” Superintendent Mike Folks said. “Everything we talked about was just on the surface and nothing has been decided.”
While no action was taken during the meeting, many ideas were discussed, including use of buildings, student class size and keeping students close to their schools.
“I think the general consensus was to keep a neighborhood school concept, at least in our primary grades,” Folks said. “There was some discussion about having a plan, and maybe, a phase-in plan over several years of trying to move our early childhood programs . . . into our buildings instead of one centeralized location.”
There was also discussion about keeping kids in the same middle school building for both 7th and 8th grade.
“The board talked a little bit about middle schools and the possibility of looping in our middle schools,” Folks said. “I don’t know where that’s going to end up, but there was general support for that.”
Pre-K classes and meeting any transportation needs were also on the table Monday night. Some of the other things that have been discussed during the study include finding a way to move the 6th grade out of the elementary schools and what the district could do with the administrative offices.
No definitive conclusions were reached and it was clarified that any solutions from RSP’s study would not be implemented for the 2021-2022 school year. The next meeting between RSP and HUSAC is set for Sept. 1.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.