Space Needed, But Not As Much As Predicted
By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

Results from an update of an enrollment projection and demographic study reveal that space needs in the Garden City School District are not as dire as once predicted.

"The news still is we'll need space," said School Board President Kenneth Monaghan. "The good news is we probably won't need as much space as we thought 12 months ago. That's obviously welcome news because at the end of the day, we're going to have to build something. We're likely to bond it and we won't have to borrow as much to do it."

Monaghan's comments came after a presentation by demographer Dr. Jonathan T. Hughes from St. John's University at the March 10th Garden City Board of Education work session. Hughes looked at Census and historical local data, including live births, and projected how expected enrollment will impact school buildings five to 10 years from now. He was asked by the Board to up-date a demographic study done for the district in 2006 by Dr. Paul M. Seversky, a consultant for the New York State School Boards Association AdvisorySolutions.

Space is still needed at the middle school and high school. With an enrollment of 1,086, the middle school is reaching its peak this year. The building is being utilized to its fullest and administrators have been creative in maximizing every possible space for instruction. Dr. Hughes projects the numbers to go down over the next 10 years.

The high enrollment levels currently being experienced at the middle school will reach the high school within the next five years. Enrollment is currently at 1,150 and will climb to its highest level in 2011 with a total of 1,190. Dr. Hughes projects a steady decline to follow; in 2012, the number will drop to 1,168 and will continue falling.

Currently, every classroom is being used every period of the day in both buildings. "High schools aren't designed to be run that way," Monaghan said. "Even middle schools are designed to have a little more flex in them than we currently have in the middle school." He said the Board wants to offer more opportunities for student learning, including additional research-based classes.

Monaghan acknowledged that a future Board will have to study the possibility of adjusting the boundary line between Stewart and Stratford schools. Enrollment at Stratford is considerably higher (currently 735 vs. 625). In five years, the numbers are expected to dip to 722 and 537, but not before a significant jump in three years at Stratford to 760.

The members of an ad-hoc committee will be announced at the next School Board meeting on March 17th. The committee will be given this new demographic data and charged with deciding what improvements the bond should cover and how much additional space is required given instructional program needs. They will also look at the overall infrastructure, including heating plants and roofing systems, and determine if the district should install more environmentally friendly initiatives, such as state-of-the-art geothermal heating and cooling systems.

The committee will have no legal authority, and will solely offer advice to the Board after thorough review of the entire issue. They will also be responsible for reaching out to the public to explain what and why improvements are needed based on their research. The last time the school district sought public approval for a capital improvement bond was in 1998. The bond totaled $37,856,000.