Mr. Jeff Tsai, Director of the Operations Research/Education Laboratory at North Carolina State University, was employed by the TPSD as a statistician to identify the optimal pairings for long-range stability in the programmatic realignment and reorganization of TPSD elementary schools. Mr. Tsai is responsible for the management of the OR/Ed Laboratory which specializes in the use of mathematical models (operations research) for improving the process of decision-making in educational institutions and local governmental agencies.

The Integrated Planning for School and Community (IPSAC) service, which is offered by the OR/Ed Laboratory, is being utilized by numerous school districts across the United States. IPSAC fully integrates community and regional data, ten-year economic forecasts, demographic and land use studies, digitized pupil and school location files, and mathematical optimization algorithms. The IPSAC planning system is comprised of multiple data-driven processes including: Enrollment Forecasting, Land Use Studies, Out-of-Capacity Analysis, School Location Optimization, and Attendance Boundary Optimization and Redirection. Generally, school-planning solutions that are driven by policy and supported by data have a high success rate in gaining community support.

Factors that Mr. Tsai considered in making his recommendations

• Our K-2 student population is larger than our 3-5 student population.
• All K-2 classes will have a goal of "15 to 1" and will require more classrooms.
• Optimal pairings were made using a statistical model that utilized planning units.
• These planning units were developed by the subcommittee and elementary principals.
• These planning units are neighborhood units consisting of approximately 50 to 70 students.
• Optimal placement of schools were first determined without considering the location of our current facilities.
• Then, current facilities were utilized for the distribution of our student population.
• The TPSD has a central density of population and a scarcity of population of the fringes of the district.
• The proximity of schools to each other played an integral part in the pairings.
• Optimal utilization of our current buildings played an important part in the pairings.
• Equitable distribution of the general student population played a part in the pairings.
• Equitable distribution of poverty population played a part in the pairings.
• Transportation considerations played a part in the pairings.
• Space for construction on current school campuses played a part in the pairings.

Why pair Church Street(K-2) / Carver(K-2) and Lawhon(3-5)? map...

• If both the Church Street and Carver buildings were not utilized, there would be a need to close one of the facilities as a school site
• To utilize both Church Street and Carver demonstrates an effective use of existing facilities
• Church Street and Carver have significant historical context within our city
• Church Street and Carver neighborhoods are approximately the same age
• Church Street and Carver share similar capacities
• Church Street and Carver were constructed during the same era
• Church Street and Carver have little, if any, room for expansion
• All three of these school buildings have significant historical value to their Neighborhoods
• Two of these three buildings have auditoriums and full-size gymnasiums
• Carver may now be able to move its gifted program back to the main building
• Two of these three buildings once operated as high schools
• All three of these buildings have housed both lower and upper elementary students at one time or another
• Lawhon will accommodate the 3-5 student population

Why pair Joyner(K-2) and Rankin(3-5)? map...

• The Joyner neighborhood has "first-time" or starter homes for young families
• These buildings were constructed during the same era with similar construction
• These communities are related in the sense that they originally shared the same student communities
• These neighborhoods are approximately the same age
• Rankin will accommodate the 3-5 student population
• Both of the schools share similar capacities
• The Joyner neighborhood is being considered as a historical district

Why pair Parkway(K-2) and Lawndale(3-5)? map...

• These two buildings are of similar construction
• Parkway was designed for lower elementary students
• Lawndale was designed for upper elementary students
• The buildings were constructed at the same time
• Both schools have room for expansion
• Parkway already has a building pad for kindergarten classrooms
• Lawndale will accommodate the 3-5 student population

Why pair Thomas Street(K-2) and Pierce Street(3-5)? map...

• These two buildings are of similar construction
• These two buildings were constructed at about the same time
• The two neighborhoods are closely related
• These two buildings are in close, physical proximity to each other
• Thomas Street has more building space for K-2
• Pierce Street will accommodate the 3-5 student population
• Both of the schools share similar capacities

Why use Milam as the 6th grade school? map...

• This building is centrally located
• A 6th grade school will improve the gradual transition from elementary to middle school
• Milam will accommodate the 6th grade population
• There is room for growth at Milam
• This site offers opportunities to explore possible academic program expansions such as band, drama, technology, extension of the pre-AP preparatory tract at the 6th grade level, etc.