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This final report explores alternative ways of using Cairo-Durham school facilities to reduce operating costs and generate new revenues. It includes key findings, observations, and potential alternatives. The report also presents ideas for using school space to increase revenues and discusses the process and activities involved in the study.
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Cairo-DurhamCentral School District Facility Usage Study Final Report April 2010
Primary Focus of the Study Are there others ways of using the Cairo-Durham school facilities that would reduce operating costs and/or generate new revenues?
Contents of the Final Report • Executive Summary • Background • Study Purpose, Process and Activities* • Key Findings and Observations* • Summary of Alternatives* • Alternative Overviews • Attachments –Presentations and Potential alternatives • Exhibits – Student counts, enrollments, achievement, Middle School Course of Studies, Cairo and Durham school capacities, and O&M Costs
Study Process and Activities • Collected key information • Established base-line information on programs, students, facilities, staffing and operating costs • Hold key variables constant while changing structures (e.g. enrollment) • Formulated models to assure consistency in comparisons • Special forums for residents and staff • Reviewed study purpose and process • Sought ideas and suggestions from attendees • Prepared list of potential alternatives • Change current school usage to reduce operating costs • Based on rooms needed vs. available, four alternatives were deemed viable • Ideas for using school space to increase revenues
Study Process and Activities(continued) • Bring back students currently attending programs outside of the district • Found Cairo-Durham administrative leadership already aggressively pursuing locally shared programs with leadership of other Greene County school districts and it appears that these efforts will continue • Explore using space to increase revenues • Informal discussions with Questar, Capital Region, Otsego-Northern Catskill BOCES, Greene County Offices, IDA and Columbia-Greene CC Special notes on others using school space • Balance room locations between regular school uses and other users • Scheduling facilities before, after, and during the school day uses • Traffic, parking, school security
Study Process and Activities(continued) • In-depth analysis for the four viable alternatives to determine the impact and implications for: • Enrollment, class sizes, room usage/availability, staffing, instructional programs, transportation, operation of facilities and operating costs • Identified Pros and Cons for each alternative • With the help of 6 parents, 6 teachers, 6 school administrators • Prepared overviews for each of alternative • Standard format to summarize analysis, comment on impacts and implications and list Pros and Cons
Findings and Observations • Operating cost reductions possible under – • Redistrict some Cairo students to Durham $290,000 • Move Durham students to Cairo $728,900 • Create Primary and Intermediate Schools $501,300 • Add 6th Grade to Elementary Schools $164,200 • Additional revenues possible • Location & number of available rooms vary across the alternatives • List of suggested ideas that most promising • Optimum approach to using school facilities • Step 1 – Select one of the above listed alternatives • Step 2 – Initiate aggressive efforts to develop and/or find sponsors for program/services to be housed in rooms available for other uses
Thoughts on How to Proceed • Board members study report to understand – • Impact /implications of each of the four alternatives, especially the identified Pros and Cons • Make the final report readily available to residents and staff • Consider holding special sessions for residents and staff to share report • Hold a public hearing for residents to share their thoughts with the Board of Education on the four alternatives • Board of Education selects one of the alternatives • Establish process for: • Developing a detailed implementation plan for the selected alternative, including transition support for students • Identify someone to be responsible for planning, organizing, and being accountable for efforts to develop and/or find sponsors for programs and services to be housed in available school room Exercise special care in setting directions for the future
Appear to be the Most Promising Ideas • Self-supporting Community Learning/Service • Child care services and after school programs • Exercise classes for toddlers, children and adults • GED program, job training, acquiring new skills (e.g. computers) • Classes on special interests and activities for adults • Summer sports camps • Partnerships with Greene County Offices • Center for Preschool Special Education • Center for Early Intervention • Programs for Senior Citizens • Satellite sites • Columbia-Greene CC and Parsons Day Treatment