Monthly Archives: March 2015

Update From Superintendent Search Liaison Representatives

Posted on March 20, 2015 by | 1 comment

Rick Callihan, District 1 Rep, Owner/CEO AmeriGlo

The liasion group has met twice to discuss the process of hiring a new superintendent. The process is now in the recruiting and screening stage, with an April 10 application deadline. Our group will meet again in late April to narrow the field, and present these candidates to the board.
 
Al Tiede, At Large Rep, Owner/CEO Horizon Windows & Doors

As of March 13th, PROACT, the search company enlisted by DCSD for the Superintendent search, had received over 100 inquiries and in excess of 60 official applications. The application deadline for all candidates is April 10.
The Community Liaison Group has met twice to become familiarized with the process and timelines.
Next steps: The top 25 candidates will be presented to the Community Liaison Group on April 23, 2015. Following that meeting the top 8-12 candidates will be presented to the School Board. The remaining steps will include finalist interviews, and deliberation and selection of the new Superintendent by the School Board .
Timeline

Marketing and Recruiting: Based on final position profile/job description

  • Local/state regional/national newspapers
  • Other education publications and websites
  • E-mails, letters, calls, and face to face visits to referral sources and potential candidates
 March 2, 2015
Requested application due date. April 10, 2015
Pre-screen, screen and interview applicants using position profile/job description. February & March, 2015
Present confidential candidate materials to liaison group for review and determination of those semi finalists to interview. This will include top 20 candidates.Proact will then submit top candidates, as per the firm and liaison group, for consideration. April, 2015
Full Board conduct first round interviews. (Proact On Site) Week of April 13
Determine finalists and conduct comprehensive background checks Week of April 20
Full Board Interviews with finalists, Community Engagement Liaison Committee interviews, public interviews (Proact On Site) Early May, 2015
Name new Superintendent; negotiate contract May, 2015

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Posted in Superintendent Search

Austin Elementary Construction Update

Posted on March 19, 2015 by | 7 comments

Cynthia Brictson and Michael Thurmond were on hand at the Austin Elementary School Council meeting Wednesday where John Jambro, Director of Design & Construction, delivered an Austin Replacement School Update.
Two things are perfectly clear;  1)  The school district does not know what to do with the students during the rebuild.  2)  The community would like a school with a capacity of 750 students and not a prototypical school with 900 students.
To that end, the district is currently performing a feasibility study to determine if renovation is a viable option.  The output of the feasibility study will include

  • Renovation and addition cost model
  • Conceptual building plan
  • Determination of a suitable location for a possible facility expansion

Austin ES Replacement/Renovation Timeline

Identify Swing Space Ongoing
Solicit Design Professional Mar- June 2015
(New) Feasibility Study Mar – April 2015
Planning / Design June 2015 – April 2016
Decommission and Vacate Austin ES May 2016
(Last day of classes)
Move to Swing Space Location May 2016 – June 2016
(Aug ’16 School Year Start)
Demolition and Rebuild of Austin Sept 2016 – June 2018
FFE & Equipment for Austin ES July 2018
Occupy New Austin ES August 2018

2014 Dist 1 ES Enrollment & Capacity
.pdf link icon Enrollment/Capacity Numbers in Oct 2014

School Enroll Capacity PctCap Portables
Ashford Park ES 574 563 102% 5
Austin ES 637 616 103% 4
Cary Reynolds ES 1163 749 155% 21
Chesnut ES 452 570 79% 3
Dresden ES 1183 850 139% 14
Dunwoody ES 979 973 101%
Hightower ES 832 635 131% 13
Huntley Hills ES 493 532 93% 3
Kingsley ES 568 500 114% 5
Kittredge ES 458 590 78%
Montclair ES 1128 792 142% 16
Montgomery ES 754 699 108% 5
Oakcliff ES 730 752 97%
Vanderlyn ES 714 576 124% 11
Woodward ES 1041 826 126% 12

Austin ES Projected Enrollment

Year Enrollment
2011 653
2012 647
2013 630
2014 637
2015 642
2016 655
2017 671
2018 678
2019 686
2020 691
2021 698

Related Documents

From Nancy Jester
The 10-Year Facility Master Plan “did not consider capacity and projected growth when SPLOST IV projects were identified,” according to Nancy Jester, former DeKalb Schools board member.  “The SPLOST process is political.  The data was made to fit the predetermined decisions in order to justify the building list.”
She goes on to say,

“The DeKalb Board of Education sent a referendum to the voters that funds building new elementary schools where we will only need 40% of the current capacity. Yet, in areas that are already at 100% and projected to need much more, DeKalb is adding very little capacity. Many communities are looking at having trailers in perpetuity. Even if some of the capacity needs were addressed in the next SPLOST, effectively a generation of children will have gone through school in trailers.
When SPLOST IV ends, DeKalb’s taxpayers will have given the school district approximately $2 billion to build and improve schools. It is unconscionable that we have so many children in trailers throughout the district. The weight of this fact was not lost on me during the SPLOST IV process while I was on the board. This is the primary reason I voted against taking this referendum to the public.”

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Posted in Austin Elementary School, SPLOST