The Jefferson City Board of Education on Monday indicated the time is not ripe to move forward with a plan to expand the district's facilities, despite impassioned pleas from patrons that some schools are overcrowded.
After reviewing a consultant's report surveying public opinion about a possible bond and levy issue in April, members of the board signaled they likely won't ask voters for any capital improvements in 2015.
The report noted 58 percent of respondents reported they would be more likely to vote in favor of building a second high school, if that idea was included in the ballot language, Ken DeSieghardt, CEO of the consulting firm, Patron Insight, told the board. (To pass in April, 57 percent of voters would have to vote yes on a bond issue or levy increase.)
"That's the highest of the three projects we asked about, with a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent," DeSieghardt said.
Respondents were less interested building elementary classrooms. When asked about constructing a new school on Jefferson City's east side and adding classrooms at Callaway Hills - and being informed that the district's attendance boundaries would changed to balance enrollment - 44 percent of respondents would favor such a plan, DeSieghardt said.
"Not terribly encouraging at this point," he said.
And when they were asked if they would be interested in increasing the operating levy to pay for those new schools, 46 percent of respondents favored that idea.
Board member Alan Mudd asked: "Taking a look at the percentages ... how likely would it be, through a campaign, that they could be moved to an acceptable level by April?"
DeSieghardt replied: "It would be a challenge in a three-month time frame."
East School supporters speak out
Monday's meeting also served as a forum for upset East Elementary School parents and teachers - and other district patrons who sympathize with their plight - to complain to the board that the school is too crowded and the facility is dangerously out of date.
For the second time in weeks, more than 100 patrons filled the board's chamber and spilled into the hallway.
Delores Scaggs, mother of a fifth-grade boy and a 17-year teacher in the school, told listeners she has voiced concerns to both administrators and the Board of Education.
Scaggs said the school currently has only two fifth-grade sections this year.
"This reduction led to classes that have been allowed to increase to the occupancy of 29 students in each class. When my husband and I wrote ... with our concern of this issue, not only did we have to wait six weeks to receive a response, but were "respectfully declined a meeting with us regarding this issue.' In his letter the Board President (Dennis Nickelson) stated "As a board and administrative team, we have prioritized East Elementary for renovations this summer...'
"However, those renovations do not speak to the overcrowding issues that we have."
Scaggs said she does not feel that East has been made a priority.
"East is not a priority," she said. "In fact, it's neglect, outright neglect," she said. "My husband and I were put off in hopes that we would give up. But we cannot give up, because it is our son who is sitting in an overcrowded classroom. It's virtually impossible to serve 29 students in a small space."
She said she's hoping to persuade administrators to place a trailer on the school's grounds and hire another teacher.
Scaggs wasn't the only parent who raised concerns about conditions at the school. Lisa Sanning said she wrote to Mitchell in August.
"I got a one-line response - "We're looking into this' - and no one got back to me," Sanning said.
"We have a first-year teacher who is on her own with 30 kids. Another teacher gave up his aide, so she could have some help in there," she said and added her own daughter's teacher has been sick for almost a month. "She's had sub after sub after sub. Not to blame her teacher ... her teacher's great."
Sanning said administrators told her overcrowding was occurring in other buildings, too.
"I don't understand why there's not a contingency every year, so when this happens we can jump in and fix it. ... It's very disappointing as a parent. She's not getting the best education she should get, which you talked about in your mission statement."
Many of the speakers raised concerns that some teachers are housed in closets.
Pam Murray, who is campaigning for a seat on the board, said a public records request revealed Jefferson City Fire Department inspectors on Aug. 26 cited the school.
This inspector's report noted the "office needs to be moved out of mechanical room," Murray said.
"Well, when I toured (the school), it was not just an office. It is a place where student education takes place," she said.
Despite the approximately 15 people who came to the podium to share their concerns, the board appeared unready to ask voters for money. Mudd noted it will take a long and multifaceted campaign to educate the public and persuade voters a capital campaign is needed.
"I'm not sure we can (do it) between now and April," he said.
Steven Bruce agreed it will take a sustained effort to convince voters, but was heartened by DeSieghardt's data.
"I was concerned the numbers would be lower," he confessed.