At the initial meeting of the Facility Utilization Advisory Team (FUAT), Dr. McCoy distributed and discussed the Board Policy that outlines the responsibilities of the FUAT, how the members of the FUAT were selected and the factors to be considered when the team develops it recommendations for the Board of Trustees.
Then Dr. McCoy addressed the question concerning why the FUAT is necessary.
Five years ago the Rezoning Task Force set five parameters for the utilization of our facilities. It should be noted that the decision to have seven K-3 buildings and three 4-6 buildings had already been made. Using these configurations, attendance lines were drawn. The most difficult objective to maintain was the socio-economic and racial diversity balance to reflect the composition of the school district within a variance of no more than plus (+) or minus (-) 5 percent.
Each year there have been schools that have not met the variance guideline. This year, Lawhon, Joyner, Parkway, Thomas Street, and Pierce Street do not meet the variance guidelines.
The FUAT is assessing much more than the attendance zones. It is asking and trying to answer the following types of questions:
Quality of Education
§ How can we carry our students and instruction to the next higher level?
General Questions
§ Have we met our goal of treating the students in grades 4-6 as elementary students?
§ Do the current state and federal accountability standards lend themselves to a different grade grouping?
§ Are some of the current parameters for school attendance zones, i.e. neighborhood schools and the balancing of the demographics of our school district, at odds?
§ Are there different parameters that will give greater long term stability to the attendance zones? It is becoming more and more difficult to meet the parameters established five years ago without wholesale changes each year.
§ Do we want to grow the Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC)? Is the ECEC in the appropriate location? Are we using the MLK facility to its maximum benefit?
§ Is the current grade structure the best for the highest quality of student achievement and instruction?
§ Is it becoming more and more difficult to meet the parameters established five years ago without wholesale student movement each year?
Reference materials on classroom inventory, student population by grade, and school campuses were distributed to the members.
The decision was made to meet again on November 16, 2005.