Corrected story Feb. 28
District will present school planning options during public meeting tonight at OHS
Oakwood Schools Board of Education members are looking forward to a big turnout for tonight’s Master Facilities Plan Options Meeting at the Oakwood High School auditorium at 7 p.m.
"The meeting on Feb. 28 is an important step in this process of evaluating the state of our facilities, presenting it to the community, facilitating and harvesting new ideas, and repeating that cycle as we move forward. Evaluating, presenting, listening, incorporating. Repeat,” Board Member John Wilson said.
The meeting will begin with a 45-minute presentation, outlining options for the community to consider to determine what’s next for the Oakwood Schools in terms of the facilities. Each option will include conceptual drawings, general programming information, conceptual budgets and information regarding the possible impact on tax payers.
“Presently, the options are very fluid, and intended to allow the design team to understand how to program the next phase, if any of the options are selected. As we proceed forward, more development will continue, making the options better defined,” Board of Education President Todd Duwel said.
The options have been generated as a result of assessments, interviews, surveys and focus group sessions with administration, staff, students, parents and community members.
“We started with a large number of options, with some being eliminated or modified during the last few months as a result of input from various stakeholders. In order to be authentic to the process, it was imperative we look at as many options as we could, ranging from simply repairing what exists to the other extreme of complete replacement. We need to be able to answer the important questions today, tomorrow and 10 years from now. The future generations depend on us being as thoughtful and thorough as we can in this critical process,” Design Team Member Christie Boron said.
Following the presentation, those in attendance will break into small groups to share their thoughts about the options. Meeting organizers believe the small groups will allow more people the opportunity to engage in the discussion and more voices to be heard.
“Community feedback helps us to get in touch with what the community wants from our school district. It also helps the district begin to notice patterns within the feedback that is shared. It is essential we listen carefully to a variety of perspectives. I hope this meeting is an environment where we can hear from lots of Oakwood residents who will share their questions and concerns candidly,” Board of Education Member Meredith Quigley said.
The discussions from the small groups will be shared publicly online, allowing community members to hear from a variety of voices. District representatives and Board of Education members say the conversation will continue as another Town Hall meeting is scheduled for March 21 at 7 p.m. in the OHS auditorium.
A video showing the options, updated information and an area for community feedback will all be posted to the district’s Master Facilities Plan page on the website at https://www.oakwoodschools.org/district/master-facility-plan following tonight’s meeting.
“All of this feedback will help the Board and district officials better understand the community’s interest in its continued investment in the schools. We want to know what the community wants and what, if any, factors could be impediments to assuring Oakwood continues to rank as one of the best public school districts in the country,” Duwel said.