WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK!
Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District Facility Update
Dear Vinton-Shellsburg Families,
The Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District is committed to providing the best possible learning environment for all students. This is an ongoing process. In 2021 a facilities assessment was conducted by OPN Architects, mechanical and electrical engineers from Modus and civil engineers from Shive-Hattery. This assessment was finalized into a report to help the school district prioritize funding. The assessment focused on identifying deficiencies based on current building codes, ADA compliance, and other maintenance or risk conditions that exist on the properties.
Since the report the school district has invested in various facility upgrades such as, LED lighting throughout the school district, heating and cooling updates, added a solar array to the high school, built a wing onto Tilford elementary school to expand preschool and childcare opportunities, along with many other improvements (i.e., concrete work, ADA accessibility improvements).
The bond for the current high school building, which was constructed in 2007, was paid off last year (2024) giving the school district the opportunity to address the identified larger deficiencies in our school district. At that time the school board sought public input on the idea of pursuing another bond to address the identified needs. A community survey was conducted last spring (May 2024). The survey showed positive support for a new bond, however there was discrepancy in where people felt the money should be spent. With this information the board felt a facilities committee needed to further explore possibilities for facility improvements.
A facilities committee of forty individuals, made up of community members and district staff from across the whole district, spent the past several months evaluating options for optimizing our school facilities to support student learning. The committee carefully reviewed multiple options for elementary and middle school configurations. The committee’s top choice for educational grade alignment was to have cohorts of grades together. Having school grade cohorts together means grouping students of the same grade levels within the same building or educational setting. This approach allows for more consistent instruction, better peer interactions, and streamlined support services. This approach is also the most economically efficient.
However, cohorting the grade levels together means additional transportation of all students across the school district. One elementary school would be set as a primary school and another as an intermediate (upper elementary) school. Children from all towns and areas of the school district would be required to bus from place to place (like we currently do for all the 5th grade students). Currently, some 5th grade students ride a bus route to Tilford elementary school, where they then transfer to a shuttle bus to take them to Shellsburg elementary school. There are a number of students whose transportation commute is greater than an hour both ways. The committee felt this would not be in the best interest of children, especially our youngest learners.
While there are educational benefits to grouping students in larger, consistent grade-level cohorts, doing so would require extensive travel for some of our youngest students. Travel considerations raised the most concern from stakeholders. The committee determined that the best balance of educational and logistical considerations is to have two Preschool – 4th grade buildings. This would allow the youngest children to stay close to home and avoid longer transportation.
In keeping the previous spring’s community survey results in mind, where the community voiced concern on where the money would be spent, the committee recommended shifting 5th grade to the middle school, where students can benefit from a more structured transition into secondary education while maintaining reasonable travel distances.
Before going any further, the school board is seeking additional information on this recommendation. To this end the school board is asking you to complete a feedback survey. To help visualize a possible renovation for Shellsburg elementary could be redone and how the 5th grade could fit into the middle school, renderings are shown below. Please understand that these are not set designs, simply concepts. The school district has not spent any money on having designs done. The visuals are included to help stakeholders understand what could possibly be.
We recognize that this proposed change raises important questions for families, particularly about the social and academic experience of 5th-grade students in a middle school setting. Before making any decisions, the school board would like to hear your thoughts.
Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. Your feedback is essential in helping the district make an informed decision that best serves our students.
Thank you for your time and input.
Sincerely,
Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District Board of Education
