District prepares to tackle overcrowding issue with long range study
By Sydney Booth
Any Eaton High School student will tell you that passing periods are already shoulder-to-shoulder in a sea of surging humanity. But according to projections, things aren’t going to get much better. With new housing developments scheduled for construction in Eaton, enrollment in the district schools has the potential to skyrocket. Fixing the problem with a new high school alone could run anywhere from $50-60 million.
Aspen Meadows, which will be located behind Governors’ Ranch off of Collins Street and Road 35, was approved on Sept. 29, and will encompass a total of 167 homes. Another subdivision is also going to sprout up east of Hawkstone, but it is still very early in its development. Those new houses will have families, and those families will be sending more kids to school.
The Study
When the district realized space was getting tight, it conducted the Long Range Master Facilities Plan, a study which details demographics of Eaton, as well as long range projections on enrollment and capacity. According to the study done last January, the approximate capacity of EHS is 550 students. This fall, enrollment reached 533 students, but with the development of these new subdivisions, future enrollment is projected at 614 students by 2020. According to the study, these numbers will force the high school to 111.6 percent of its capacity. Upon the completion of the planned subdivisions, approximately 725 students will be enrolled at EHS, which is over 131 percent of its capacity.
Although there is an impending need for new facilities, problem solving from the EHS administration has freed up some space. This past summer, classrooms were relocated to help accommodate growth. Last year the tech department moved to the former administration building. Dual enrollment and special education were also moved into the new tech building this year, and Chris Love’s computer and business classes were moved inside to the former Special Ed rooms. Counselor Marcy Sanger said, “Mrs. Sorenson got her own classroom this year and we still have one available classroom if we need it, which we have never had before.”
District Impact
Eaton Middle School will not fare much better, according to the study. Future enrollment in 2020 is projected to be about 512 in a school that can only handle 490 students. Upon the completion of the town’s newest subdivisions, the middle school will be over 126 percent of its capacity. The district elementary schools (including BEES, EES, and GES) will be at 125 percent of their capacity upon the completion of the new subdivisions. Superintendent Dr. Randy Miller said, “It wouldn’t do us a lot of good to build a high school if we don’t do anything for the elementary schools because that is where our major problem is. When we do decide what we want to do, it has to include something with the elementary schools.”
EHS teachers Amy Ross and Doug Preston served on the committee which reviewed the study. The facilities committee met approximately five times during the past school year. Ross said, “Where we are at in the process is figuring out what we want to do and how much it will cost. Essentially, we have to decide the need–which we have–the plan, the cost, and how much the taxpayers are willing to pay.”
In Dollars
One of the committee’s tasks was to determine the cost of new facilities and share that information with the school board. According to the analysis, the cost of building a new high school will be between $50-60 million. To transfer the middle school to the high school would cost anywhere from $8-11 million and to transfer the elementary school to the middle school would cost about the same. Additions on the elementary school would cost in the range of $2-4 million, while an addition on EMS would cost anywhere from $12-14 million. According to Miller, BEES was built with an addition in mind, leaving it with room to expand.
Funding for the new facilities would require the issue to be put on a ballot and go to voters for approval. Miller said, “I would say within the next three to five years that there is a very good possibility of a bond issue, or buildings or additions to fix the overcrowding issue.”
Preston said, “I would hope that citizens would be able to see the need for additional educational facilities to continue the high-quality education that they expect from this district.” But both Preston and Ross expressed concern that since taxpayers have already elected to pay taxes for the new recreation center, chances are that they will be less likely to fund a new high school or other facilities. “I also understand that citizens do not want to be required to pay higher taxes,” Preston said. “Eventually, it will be entirely necessary for new facilities to be built to do what is in the best interest of students.”