In the fall of 2019, the services of the consulting firm, Castallo and Silky, LLC, were secured to conduct a facilities study for the District. They were asked to address the following question: How can the District maintain and enhance the educational opportunities for West Genesee students in its tradition of excellence while continuing to ensure efficient and effective utilization of staff and facilities as well as fiscal responsibility to the District’s taxpayers?
Alan Pole and Deb Ayers, consultants with Castallo and Silky, LLC, have worked closely with the District for the past twelve months. They gave an initial presentation to the District’s Strategic Planning Committee in February 2020 where they outlined the scope of the study. The Strategic Planning Committee, composed of thirty stakeholders from around the District, then had several follow-up meetings with the consultants, each with a different focus.
Presentations given included student enrollment projections, an overview of the instructional program, an overview of the District’s facilities and transportation operation, staffing patterns, and the District’s financial status.
Here is a very brief summary of their findings:
- Unlike most school districts in upstate New York who are seeing and will continue to see declining enrollment, West Genesee is projected to begin seeing an increase in enrollment beginning with the 2022-2023 school year.
- Space in the elementary buildings is somewhat tight in the current K-5 configuration.
- There is an imbalance in enrollment between the two middle school buildings (6-8 configuration).
- The District currently does not offer Universal Pre-K, nor do they qualify for funding the program.
- The District may want to consider creating a 5-6 intermediate school and a 7-8 junior high school • The District is in excellent financial condition.
- The District may want to consider a capital project to accommodate enrollment and involve the architects early in the planning process.
The full report was presented to the Board of Education at the January 6, 2021 meeting. At the January 20, 2021 Board of Education meeting, the Board discussed the ramifications of reconfiguring the schools.
The Board discussed discuss and voted to adopt the study’s recommendations at their February 3, 2021 meeting.
If you are interested in the full report, it is available on the District website homepage from the Quicklinks section.