Thursday, February 1,
2007
Wayland High
School
Science Building
S-2
Attendees
HSBC members: Lea Anderson, Josh Bekenstein, Dianne
Bladon, Steve Breit, Brian Chase, Fred Knight, David Lash, Mary Lentz, Joe
Lewin, Cindy Lombardo, Eric Sheffels, Jennifer Steel, Karen
Talentino
Absent: Jim Howard, Steve
Tise
Ex Officio
members: Gary
Burton, Bob Gordon
Call to order – HSBC Chairman, Lea Anderson,
called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.
Review of Enrollment
Projections –
Wayland School Committee member Jeff Dieffenbach presented an update on
enrollment projections. He
explained that enrollment is driven at the macro level by national, regional,
and state trends. The micro
level factors are town population, births, housing turnover, new construction,
and public funding.
The
current school population is around 3,000.
Professional projections of recent years range from 2,000 to 4,000
students (based on a build-out potential) in 10 to 15
years.
Jeff
said that the K-12 cohort survival (children already in the system) is highly
predictable. Kindergarten
projections are not so predictable.
He presented three cases:
Low - based on a 5-year birth average and 5-year K to birth average
Medium – based on a 10 year birth average and 15-year K to birth
average
High – based on a 20-year birth average and 20-year K to birth
average
The
resulting high school enrollment projection ranges from a high of 1100 to a low
of 850 by the year 2025 for the high and medium cases. The low case was not useful as it
projects 0 students by 2025. It is
based on too short a history.
Jeff
concluded that we “simply don’t know”.
The trend appears to be more down than up, but there are too many
volatile factors such as housing turnover, Town Center, etc. to be
sure.
Comments
were:
- Families move to Wayland when their oldest child is 4 years
old.
- Older people move out and make room for younger
families.
- The Wayland enrollment tracks
the macro trends of boom and boomlet.
Highs and lows will get less extreme.
- Best predictor is national
trend. No reason to think Wayland
is going to be different.
- Jeff’s report suggests that we
should build for 850-900 with a potential maximum of 1100.
- This is different from what we
projected last time (1000 – 1200).
- State will be formulaic. There will not be a lot of
debate.
- We hope the State will not be
unreasonable. They are trying to
avoid schools being twice as big as they need to be.
- Use Jeff’s report when talking
to the state.
- We will present a range, not
one number.
- Build core facilities for
higher number, classrooms for lower number. It is cheaper to add classrooms later
than to add core space.
Discussion of Town Meeting
Article – Lea
reported that Sam Peper of the Finance Committee requested specifics on the
$300,000 article to keep the WHS project moving forward. Sam requested that the HSBC explain the
expenditure in relation to the MSBA process. The Finance Committee has received
capital requests far in excess of what they think is
prudent to approve. The HSBC was
asked to discuss delaying the request until next Fall
or to consider bifurcating the request into $75,000 this Spring and the balance
of $225,000 next Fall.
The HSBC
had differing opinions about the state process and what constituted “an
invitation” to apply. Some thought
it was immediately after the SOI is accepted, possibly as early as July
2007. Others thought it would not
happen until after the Pre-study Review Meeting, possibly as early as late Fall
2007. There was general consensus
that there are probably two decision points, not just one.
Discussion
followed:
- The State seems to be defining the process as they
go.
- $75,000 should be enough to get
through the first stages of the application process from July through November,
though some thought more might be needed before November.
- We should give the Fincom
latitude to defer the bulk of the funds.
- It is possible that the
$225,000 for the Feasibility Study stage of the state process will not be spent
for a long time. The article was
designed to tie this spending to the MSBA choosing Wayland to
apply.
- What is the reason for deferral? Is it budget impact or for political
reasons?
- Two debt exclusions double the
risk of failure.
Lea
offered to write a response to Sam Peper saying that the HSBC strongly
recommends that the town be allowed to consider the WSC’s request for $300,000
this April to be able to take advantage of state funding at the earliest
possible time. She will detail the
expenditures in relation to the state process.
This led
to a discussion about private fundraising:
- Elements removed from the
project might be ripe for private funding.
- Rehabilitation of the Field House is a possible candidate for private
funding.
- Can the HSBC get its head around removing the gym and auditorium from
the project?
- Our charge tells us we have to come up with different price
points.
- We should ask the school
administration to take a first crack at scope reductions based on educational
priorities.
- We should look at functionality first.
- Trade-offs will have to be discussed, such as big box approach vs.
campus.
- It is atypical for
Massachusetts’ schools to raise significant money privately. People are used to taxes paying for
public education. Hospitals or
universities are very different.
There is a history to privately funding these.
- Public schools should be funded
publicly. I have a philosophical
problem with private funding for the town’s schools.
- Other schools have formed
Alumnae Associations, but this is a much longer-term effort to set up an
endowment.
- Compared to Brookline, if
Wayland were to raise the same relative amount, it would be less than $1
million.
- Based on the turf field
experience, it will be very difficult to raise nearly enough to make a
difference. The appeal has to be
broad based.
- The WPSF raises about $150k a
year. This takes a lot of
work.
- The certainty of state aid is
going to make it a very different outcome next time.
Communications Update –
Fred Knight
presented logo designs and plans for the updated web site.
Lea
reviewed the meeting schedule.
Meeting
HSBC Presenter and others
Loker PTO Family Night – Jan. 25, 6:30 pm
Mary Lentz
with Brian Chase
Claypit Hill PTO Coffee – Feb. 2, 8:00 am
Lea Anderson with Dianne Bladon
Happy Hollow PTO – Feb. 13, 6:30 pm
Lea with Brian, Karen, Jennifer
Traditions of Wayland – Feb. 20, 10:30 am
Lea with Sue Pope
WCPA – March 8, 7-8:30 pm in
Raytheon Room Lea
with ?
Council on Aging – March 21, 10 am in Sen.
Cen. Lea
with Sue Pope
WSC Budget Hearing TBD
Lea
A
regular schedule high school tours on the second Sat. and second Tues. of each
month is as follows.
Lea
and/or Charlie Ruopp will cover the tours with help from any interested HSBC
members.
Sat. Feb. 10 at 9:00
am
Tues. Feb. 13 at 4:00 pm
Sat. Mar. 10 at 9:00 am
Tues. Mar. 13 at 4:00 pm
Tues. Apr. 10 at 4:00 pm
Sat. Apr. 14 at 9:00 am
Next meeting – The group will meet next on March 1.
Motion – A motion was made by Josh
Bekenstein and seconded by Fred Knight to approve the minutes of HSBC meeting
#45 held on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007.
Vote – The motion was approved
unanimously - 13 in favor, 0 opposed.
Comments and questions from observers: There were no comments.
Adjournment – The HSBC adjourned at 9:4550 p.m.
Observers: Janet Correia, Anna Sommers, Lisa
Valone