The Experience: August 2017

The Experience Official Newsmagazine of Mariemont City Schools

AUGUST 2017

WHAT IS HAPPENING? Page 4

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS Page 6

NEXT STEPS Page 9

August 2017

Tradition.

IN THIS ISSUE – High School Master Facility Planning Update

Community.

Innovation.

High School Facility Creates Biggest Unknown to District’s Finances By: Treasurer/CFO Tom Golinar One of the main pillars of a strong relationship with our community is providing regular updates regarding our financial picture. After all, you are our biggest investors. We owe it to you to share what is happening with our finances and what different factors mean for our stability moving forward.

update

treasurer’s

The biggest challenge in our financial outlook is what to do with the high school facility. Built in 1970 the structure is approaching 50 years old. While that may not seem terribly old to some, this means that the electrical wiring, mechanical systems and plumbing are nearing the end of their useful lives.

Maintaining these systems has become a drain on our daily operations budget.

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As a result of our last master facility plan in 2009, the district renovated and/or replaced our three other schools. The 2009 plan called for updating the elementary schools and junior high school to create better learning environments and energy efficiencies, but no updates to the high school were included at that time. As such, I’ve had to build an additional $200,000 into the budget for anticipated repairs needed at the high school – that’s almost five times more than the anticipated costs at our other three schools combined. These high school costs continue to rise as it is becoming incredibly difficult to find parts for the systems in place and they continue to break down at a faster rate.

It is clear that the time has come to plan ahead for how we will address this problem. As the board continues to engage with the community about the ideas of repair, renovation or new construction, it is very important to remember that there is no zero cost option. Even the idea of leaving the main structure of the facility alone and simply continuing to repair the outdated mechanical systems comes at a significantly increased cost. If additional funding is not planned for now, it will have to come from the teaching and learning budget. This means reduced opportunities for students.

This is a serious discussion that needs to be properly addressed now. This is important so that Mariemont City Schools is not only meeting the academic needs of our students, but also being a good steward of the taxpayer dollar and good partner with our community. We don’t want there to be any surprises as we look ahead and make decisions regarding how to handle our facility challenges that are impacting the district’s bottom line.

www.mariemontschools.org

Your Voice Matters as we Work Together to Plan for the Future By Superintendent Steven Estepp Mariemont City Schools is proud of our strong partnership with our community. Our residents are the backbone of our schools and we greatly appreciate your support. This is why it is so important to us that we keep the conversation going with all residents regarding the challenges with the high school facility. This publication is being sent to every resident to ensure that you have all the information regarding this important and ongoing process.

Year one of this process focused mostly on identifying the fact that we needed to plan ahead for the problems we are facing. The Master Facility plan that was developed with input from the community in 2009 notes that updates to the high school would need to be reassessed, likely by 2020. In order to maximize the options and efficiency of whatever solution is decided upon and because the need continues to increase as more and more systems are in need of repair, we needed to begin the discussion during the 2016-17 school year.

Our goal is to continue exploring options this fall with a report to the board this winter about all of the data, costs and community input.

The board will then take some time to consider all possible solutions and hopes to make a decision about next steps sometime in the spring of 2018. I encourage every resident to read this mailer in full.

We have additional information on our website and I’m always happy to address community questions.

This is not a Mariemont City Schools only process.

This is an in-depth process to find the best possible solution for our students, staff and community so that we can continue to offer an excellent quality education and a tremendous value to residents.

August 2017

update

The 2017-18 school year will keep the strong commitment of community participation in every step. We have even more community member work groups as well as community conversation sessions and even a community survey to make sure we are including all residents and really listening to their opinions. We truly value your input and encourage you to participate in the many opportunities we have for you to share your voice.

superintendent’s

We made a two-year commitment to exploring this issue to the fullest extent. As we enter the second year of this process, it is important to understand that NO decisions have been made. The board is exploring three categories of options that range from continuing to repair our aging facility to renovating the existing facility to building a new high school. No option comes at zero cost.

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What is Going on and Why is this Needed Now –

Answers to some Frequently Asked Questions

What is happening?

Mariemont High School is approaching 50 years old and is experiencing significant repair and replacement needs for most of the major mechanical and infrastructure systems in the school. The 2009 Facility Master Plan recommended that the needs of the high school be reassessed to determine what if any course of action would be needed to keep the facility in line with the new and renovated learning environments at Mariemont Elementary, Terrace Park Elementary and Mariemont Junior High schools.

Eight years later, these repairs are happening all too soon, are increasing costs at an alarming rate and some are reaching critical decision stages in terms of repair or replacement. So it is now time to again work with residents and experts to research and make plans for how the district and the community want to address the ongoing challenges at the high school facility.

What’s wrong with the current high school building?

From the outside, the high school building may look like it’s in good shape, that’s because of the great work done by our custodial and maintenance staff. But take a peak behind the walls and you will see another story. The school is nearly 50 years old. That means outdated plumbing, old electrical wiring and mechanical systems that are continuously falling apart. In addition, the school design has created small classrooms, cramped hallways and a layout that is not conducive to today’s teaching and learning needs or security and safety plans. In addition, old wiring and infrastructure means limited options that are often times more costly when it comes to providing adequate technology resources for today’s college and workforce preparation needs.

Mariemont High School has met the needs of our students for nearly 50 years. But it is time to look at how the district needs to make adjustments to plan ahead for the future.

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www.mariemontschools.org

Mariemont City Schools is in the middle of a two-year process to address the ongoing challenges that the high school facility is creating for the district and the community.

These are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this topic.

Why now?

The inefficient operations at the high school building continue to drive costs up and the major mechanical systems are failing sooner than expected. The district spent more than half a million dollars in the last five years on the high school building for repairs and infrastructure replacements.

The district spent $100,000 on the other three district buildings combined during the same time period.

These costs continue to rise and are threatening the district’s financial stability. The time has come for the district to look into possible solutions now so that the most effective and efficient solution can be identified and implemented in the near future.

What are the possible solutions?

The board of education continues to explore various aspects of three categories of possible options.

The first is to do no new construction or change the existing layout of the building and either continue to repair the aging facilities as they keep breaking down or do the necessary upgrades to bring the building up to today’s standards and code. Simply continuing to repair is currently estimated to cost approximately $12 million and does nothing to address the educational and security concerns.

According to the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission building cost analysis, it would cost nearly $20 million to bring the high school facility up to today’s standards and code. Again, this would not change the current building footprint and learning spaces.

Solutions Being Considered CATEGORY 1

CATEGORY 2

CATEGORY 3

• No change to building layout

• Renovate the existing building

• Build a new high school

• Repair as needed

• Replace mechanical systems

• Bring building up to standards/code

• Create more classroom space

The second category of options is to complete some kind of renovation to the existing school. There are several options within this plan including replacing much of the mechanical systems and creating more classroom space as well as possibly making upgrades to other areas of the school such as the athletics facilities, performing arts and media center. Many of these options also include security and technology upgrades. This option is the middle of the road in terms of costs and provides a number of updates to the academic areas, security enhancements, technology and other identified needs.

A third option is to build a brand new high school. This too comes with many options and possibilities but would also allow the district to build for the future without any constraints of the existing building footprint. This option is the most expensive, but would meet all identified needs including security, technology, classroom space, athletic facilities, performing arts upgrades, etc.

It is important to note that there is no zero cost option. Just doing the minimum updates requires additional resources or cuts to the learning and teaching budget.

August 2017

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What is Going on and Why is this Needed Now –

Answers to some Frequently Asked Questions

Was the school properly maintained?

Yes. The district’s maintenance and custodial staff have done a great job of keeping the school as up to date as possible. The school is simply showing its age and many of the major mechanical and structural systems are in need of significant improvements or replacement.

So what are the costs?

The district is still working with industry experts to determine specific costs for each category of options. Again there is no zero cost solution. Early cost estimates indicated that the first option of continuing basic maintenance or bringing the building up to current code standards would cost anywhere from $12-32 million depending upon the extent of renovation. This category does not include making any changes to the footprint of the school itself or significant upgrades to classrooms.

Depending upon which changes the district decides to make through renovations in the second category of options, the costs could be anywhere between $35-52 million. This takes advantage of using the existing school footprint and would meet some but not all of the needs identified early on by the Community Facilities Steering Committee.

Finally, if the district decided to build a new high school as outlined in the third category, it is estimated that this solution would cost $52-$61 million. Again, depending upon various options and choices, this solution would meet all the needs of the students, staff and community and offer the greatest flexibility for meeting future needs.

$12-32

$35-52

No Renovation to High School, Continue Maintenance

Renovation of Existing High School

million

6

million

$52-61 million

Construct New High School

www.mariemontschools.org

Mariemont City Schools is in the middle of a two-year process to address the ongoing challenges that the high school facility is creating for the district and the community.

These are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this topic.

No decisions have been made regarding these solutions or the costs that go along with them. These are early estimates that include the opinions of both community members as well as industry experts. What we do know for sure is that planning ahead and involving the community in the process allows the district to create the most effective and efficient options possible. The district wants to find a solution that not only works for students, but is fiscally reasonable and sound for the community.

Is the community involved in the process?

YES! Mariemont City Schools has included and continues to ask for community input in every step of this process. Community members, staff and parents launched the assessment phase of this project back in August 2016. Since then the district has created a Community Facility Steering Committee to oversee and guide the process of the high school facility project. The district hosted multiple online and in-person sessions explaining why the district was beginning this exploration process and each provided the chance for community questions to be addressed. In the spring of 2017, multiple community design workshops were held and more than 250 participants, including community members, staff and students, provided feedback to the various options. The district is once again asking community members to be part of Facility Teams this fall that will take a more in-depth look at the possible solutions for the project. Additional community sessions have been scheduled and the district will engage the community in a third-party survey to ensure statistically valid opinion research is completed prior to any decisions being made.

August 2017

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Your Voice Matters

August – December 2016 Initial Assessment Phase Community members, staff and parents begin to look at the high school facility needs and what may need to be done to protect the community’s investment and ensure an excellent education for students. Here are a few highlights from this phase of the process: • Nearly 50 people from the Community Facility Task Force and the Futures Team begin to identify areas to explore or data items for discussion.

• The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) along with Turner Construction and MSA Architects estimate that it would cost approximately $20 million to bring the high school facility up to today’s standards and code. This would not change the current building footprint and learning spaces.

• Security is identified as a concern. There is a lack of sight lines through the building corridors and general difficulty with emergency first responders’ ability to navigate the facility.

Classroom Size Comparison The building lacks a secure vestibule for the front office and welcome area.

• Small classroom space is identified as a concern.

The average classroom size is 672 square feet, compared to 950 square feet in the district’s other schools • There is a general lack of flexible, collaborative learning spaces for students to complete projects, conduct experiments, research or complete large-scale projects.

672 Sq Ft.

MHS average size learning space

930 Sq Ft.

Average size learning space recommended

by Ohio Facilities Construction Commission

• Technology is dated and in need of an upgrade to keep pace with other school districts in the area.

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950 Sq Ft.

Average size learning space in other district buildings

January – June 2017 Possible Solutions Part 1 The 25-member Community Facility Task Force made up of residents, parents, staff members and administration begins to meet with MSA Architects and Turner Construction to develop solution options for the high school. The developed options are presented to the general public at three different Community Design Workshops in which more than 250 residents and staff members provided feedback through survey results. Priorities are identified for further consideration in the next phase of the possible solutions. Here are a few of the key points identified during this phase of the process: • Based upon community feedback, priority areas are identified including improve the learning environments in the high school, expand classroom spaces, improve safety and security, provide collaboration spaces, increase the amount of natural light, improve or replace all infrastructure and mechanical systems such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roofing, etc.

• Three main categories with seven potential solutions are identified. The three main areas include simple upkeep, renovation or new construction. The seven possible solutions provide different options within these three areas.

• The district calls on even more residents to participate through specific Facility Teams that will review the different options in greater depth.

www.mariemontschools.org

The in-depth look at a solution to the challenges at the high school facility is a two-year process.

Community input is being solicited and considered at every step along the way. This timeline shows what has already been accomplished, what’s happening now and a look ahead at this extensive process.

Your Voice Matters, so please get involved to make sure your opinion is heard.

August – December 2017 Solutions Phase – Part 2 The community and staff will continue to work with industry experts to fine-tune and narrow possible solutions. The six Facility Teams will take a more in-depth look at the options and provide even more feedback for the board to consider. The board will also continue to engage the community about this issue and listen to feedback as they consider all options.

• The six facility teams include Design/Architecture, Academic learning spaces and programing, Technology, Finances, Arts and performance spaces, Athletics spaces.

• A third-party community survey will be conducted to ensure statistically valid feedback from the community is part of the solution.

• School Chats will be held to address resident questions (Tuesday, September 12, 9 a.m. at Mariemont Elementary; Wednesday, September 13, 6 p.m. at Terrace Park Elementary).

• Join Superintendent Steven Estepp for an online Community Conversation to hear the latest about what’s going on in the schools and the high school facility process (Wednesday, September 20 –12 pm).

• A Community Forum will be held on November 1 at 7 p.m. at Mariemont High School. This will be an opportunity for residents and staff to learn more about the potential solutions and the findings of the Facility Teams. Much like the Facility Workshops, the community will once again be asked to provide input based upon the information presented.

August 2017

January – April 2018 Consideration and Next Steps The board will take all of the information presented up to this point, including all of the feedback and input from the community, and consider what the next steps in the process should be. The board could decide more research and consideration is in order or that the time has come and select a plan of action for moving forward. The board is keeping an open mind to this open-ended process and will actively communicate its decision and reasoning to the entire community.

Join the Conversation! o

School Chat # 1 Sept. 12, 9 a.m.

Mariemont Elementary

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School Chat # 2 Sept. 13, 6 p.m.

Terrace Park Elementary

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Online Community Conversation Sept. 20, 12 p.m. www.mariemontschools.org

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Community Forum Nov. 1, 7 p.m.

Mariemont High School

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Welcome back to another school year for the Mariemont City School District and another edition of The Experience, the official newsmagazine of Mariemont City Schools. The 2017-18 school year promises to be a big one for the Warriors and you won’t want to miss a thing.

Get Involved Be a part of the district’s success by volunteering for our many support organizations and in our classrooms. Or take part in our many traditions like walking to school on the first day at our elementary buildings and watching the homecoming parade. Cheer on our Warriors athletics teams and support our schools’ arts programs by attending a play or concert. However you choose to get involved, we can’t wait to see you this school year!

Stay Connected Don’t miss out on what’s happening across the Mariemont City School District. Read the blogs by Superintendent Steven Estepp, watch our video updates and listen to the ConnectME podcasts to stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends. Also, be sure to follow the district on social media for behind-the-scenes insights and up to the minute news alerts.

@MariemontSchool @Estepp @MariemontCitySchools @mariemontschools @sestepp

Child Find Policy Mariemont City Schools Child Find Policy requires that all children below twenty-two (22) years of age residing within the district who have a disability, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services are identified, located and evaluated in accordance with all federal regulations and state standards.

For children birth through age two, a disability means that a child has a behavior, cognition, communication, physical development, sensory development and/or social or emotional development deficit. For children ages three through five years of age, a disability means that a child has a documented deficit in one or more of the following areas: communication skills, hearing abilities, motor functioning, social-emotional/behavior functioning or vision abilities.

For school-age students, a disability means a person having one or more conditions such as autism, developmental handicap, hearing handicap, multi-handicap, orthopedic and/or other handicap, emotional/behavior handicap, specific learning disability, traumatic brain injury or visual handicap.

If you are aware of a child who you think may have a disability, please contact Tricia Buchert, director of student services, at 513-272-7519.

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www.mariemontschools.org

Upcoming Events Please reference the district website calendar for more dates and activities August • 15 – Kindergarten Popsicle Night (6:45 p.m., Terrace Park Elementary) • 16 – New Student Orientation (9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Mariemont High School) • 16 – MJHS Orientation, Grade 8 (9 a.m.) & Grade 7 (noon) • 16 – New Family Welcome Night (6:30 p.m., Mariemont Elementary) • 16 – New Family Welcome Night (6:30 p.m., Terrace Park Elementary) • 17 – Kindergarten Parent Info Night (6:30 p.m., Mariemont Elementary) • 17 – Kindergarten Parent Info Night (7 p.m., Terrace Park Elementary) • 22 – First Day of School for Students • 23 – Parent Info Night, Grades 5 & 6 (6:30 p.m., Mariemont Elementary) • 23 – Parent Info Night, Grades 1-3 (6:30 p.m., Terrace Park Elementary) • 23 – Parent Info Night, Grades 4-6 (7:30 p.m., Terrace Park Elementary) • 24 – Parent Info Night, Grades 1-2 (6:30 p.m., Mariemont Elementary) • 24 – Parent Info Night, Grades 3-4 (7:30 p.m., Mariemont Elementary) • 25 – MHS Hall of Fame Induction (6:30 p.m., Kusel Stadium) • 28 – 6th Grade Camp Kern Week • 31 – Parent Open House (7 p.m., Mariemont Junior High School)

September • 4 – Labor Day, No School • 11 – Mariemont BOE Meeting (7 p.m., Mariemont Elementary) • 12 – Mariemont City School District School Chat (9 a.m., Mariemont Elementary) • 13 – Mariemont City School District School Chat (6 p.m., Terrace Park Elementary) • 18 – MHS Open House (7 p.m., Mariemont High School) • 22 – Mariemont Elementary Walk-A-Thon, Grades K-3 (9 a.m., Kusel Stadium) • 22 – Mariemont Elementary Walk-A-Thon, Grades 4-6 (1 p.m., Kusel Stadium) • 27 – Mariemont City School District Online School Chat (noon) • 27 – Pow Wow (8 p.m., Terrace Park Log Cabin)

October • 6 – Homecoming Parade (5:30 p.m., Mariemont Elementary Parking Lot) • 9 – Mariemont BOE Meeting (7 p.m., Mariemont Elementary) • 16-17 – Mariemont Academy, No School for Students • 19 – MHS Online Conference Sign-Up (9 a.m.)

• 24 – Elementary Online Conference Sign-Up (9 a.m.)

• 26 – MJHS Online Conference Sign-Up (9 a.m.)

• 27 – End of First Quarter, Early Dismissal • 27 – Pumpkin Fest (5:30 p.m.-8 p.m., Terrace Park Elementary)

November • 1 – Facility Community Forum (7 p.m., Mariemont High School) • 3 – Report Cards Available Online

August 2017

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SCHOOL CONTACT INFORMATION

www.mariemontschools.org

Terrace Park Elementary School Principal: Linda Lee 723 Elm Avenue Terrace Park, Ohio 45174 Phone: 513-272-7700 Fax: 513-831-1249

Principal: Ericka Simmons 6750 Wooster Pike Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 Phone: 513-272-7400 Fax: 513-527-3411

Mariemont Elementary School

Principal: Molly Connaughton 3847 Southern Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 Phone: 513-272-7300

Mariemont Junior High School

Principal: James Renner, PhD 1 Warrior Way Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 Phone: 513-272-7600 Fax: 513-527-5991

Mariemont High School

Superintendent: Steven Estepp 2 Warrior Way Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 Phone: 513-272-7500 Fax: 513-527-3436

Mariemont City School District

Bill Flynn Mike Gaburo Nan Dill Kelli Neville Ken White

Board of Education

www.mariemontschools.org 2 Warrior Way | Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 www.mariemontschools.org

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Cincinnati, OH Permit No. 1082

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

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