PHS Board Of Education To Consider Future Transition Plans For Kimball And Roosevelt Elementary Schools

The PHSchools full Board of Education is considering approving a plan developed by district leadership and the Building and Site Subcommittee of the Board to address elementary capacity issues. Beginning with the 2019-20 school year, it is proposed that Kimball Elementary will be closed, and its boundaries will be redrawn to include Indian Woods, Michigamme Elementary, and the Academies at Woodrow Wilson and Cleveland.  Additionally, Roosevelt Elementary will transition into a one-level school facility. Roosevelt Elementary will still receive the planned bond work to bring the building up to the new district standard, which includes a safe and secure welcome center, an updated learning commons, larger kindergarten classrooms, group collaboration rooms for students and teachers, flexible furniture and climate control. Roosevelt will continue to offer multiple sections per grade, with its boundaries remaining the same as its current configuration. All current students may remain at Roosevelt through fifth grade.  Initial plans were shared at a Board of Education workshop in August 2018. The district has been studying elementary capacity issues for two years and there are some unavoidable facts when it comes to operating our schools and being fiscally responsible with our community resources:
● Enrollment has decreased by over 833 students (grades K-5) since our last school
closed in 2013 (Lakeport Elementary).
● We project a continued enrollment decline over the next 5 years.
● Kimball Elementary capacity is 57%.
● Roosevelt Elementary capacity is 57%.
● Almost half of students that live in Kimball Elementary boundaries choose charters or other school districts.
● 93% of Kimball students already use district transportation.
A plan is being developed to allow all those involved (students, teachers and families) to have a voice in the transition planning. There will be transition activities in the spring at all four buildings where Kimball students will attend in 2019-20 to give Kimball families a chance to tour the schools, meet the staff, and become familiar with the opportunities for their students at the new schools.  Please refer to the “Projects” tab on the district webpage to view the board presentation on elementary capacity, and to see where the new boundary lines will be drawn, instructions for submitting questions to the district administrative team about the closure and transition
process, and an FAQ that will have answers to community generated questions as our team receives them.
Superintendent Jamie Cain announced, “My administration team and I look forward to meeting with parents, staff and the community to share more details and to gather input on the transition plan.”