This week The Times begins a series with the candidates for Fountain Hills Unified School District Governing Board responding to questions posed by the newspaper staff.

The School Board election will be part of the Nov. 8 General Election. Last week, the Times incorrectly reported the General Election was on Nov. 6. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 11.

The question posed this week is: The Facilities Use Committee has recommended a plan to consolidate schools that could begin as soon as the day after classes end next May. What do you see as the biggest priorities and biggest challenges for the proposed consolidation plan?

Lillian Acker

The first thing needed for the consolidation of the schools is that the grade levels be changed. The elementary grades should be from Kindergarten through fifth grade. Once that is done, the movement of the middle school students would be easier.

Starting in sixth grade, the students are more mature and can handle the movement of class changes during the school day. However, this does not mean they are to intermingle with the high school students. Each group should be housed in separate sections of the building, eat lunch at different times or in different areas of the school, and have teachers and administrators for each level.

The advantage to being housed together would be for anyone taking more advanced courses, e.g. higher level mathematics, to be allowed to easily go to the high school course without having to travel to another school.

Jennifer Amstutz-Guerrette

There is a lot that needs to be done for consolidation. Renovations are needed at both the high school and middle school campuses. The Facility Use Committee did a great job laying out the facility updates required for both campuses.

The timeframe to get the renovations accomplished will be challenging, but the cost will be an even bigger challenge. The total estimated cost for the middle school campus is over $1M and for the high school campus $292K. While some of the funding may be compensated under the Arizona Schools Facilities Board, there is no guarantee how much.

If the voters approve the bond on the November election, some of the money could be used for site renovations. The point of consolidation is to decrease the district’s operating costs. The longer we keep all three sites operating, the larger our operating expenses.

The money puzzle is a big challenge, but communication is one of my biggest concerns. Everyone in the community needs to understand the consolidation, from parents with students who will be impacted to teachers and administrators. There is plenty of worry about lost jobs, the ages of students intermingling, and the natural unease that comes with change.

There are no plans to cut any positions with the site moves. We will still have three full schools in our district, just residing on two campuses. And middle school kids will not be mingling with high schoolers. At the first Coffee with Cain, one of the parents said she attended the middle school when it was on the high school campus and there was no interaction. We need to make sure parents feel comfortable with the change by providing plenty of information and being accessible to answer all questions. Communication with our community is our biggest priority for the consolidation.

Tara Lamar

FHUSD is currently considering a proposed school realignment to begin as early as Fall 2023. Such an undertaking will have many working parts; but structured properly should yield excelling results.

Growing up I attended only two schools: K-6 and 7-12. I have experienced firsthand how enriching a dual school environment can be. As students we gained elective choices, higher proficiency preparedness and greater opportunities in athletics and clubs. As a result, my 7-12 alma mater is one of the most sought-after public schools in the nation.

FHUSD has the same potential, but must prioritize a fresh, innovative, engaging curriculum design. Realignment creates a campus culture where we can offer more accelerated classes, bring in new courses and have additional electives.

Next, structural improvements and property revamping must be completed. Prioritizing a safe and secure learning environment comes first. New and supplementary fencing, locking gates, additional security and adjusted bell schedules to mitigate the sites from penetrable areas are required. Then, we will have to restructure bathrooms and modify existing rooms to fit the needs of the students/grades utilizing the rooms.

Playgrounds will have to be installed and sport courts rebuilt in new locations to accommodate the grade-specific exterior use areas. Roof repairs, interior painting, room renovations and more will be required to provide functional, clean, healthy spaces for learning. All of this will require a substantial amount of funding (estimated $1,088,500.00).

While our emergency fund could potentially cover such a cost, it would leave little should any unexpected financial encumbrances occur. Actively seeking funding from the Arizona Schools Facilities Board, closely monitoring grant requests and tight oversight of our budget will be of paramount importance. Ultimately consolidation, while daunting, can provide an untapped potential for an elevated educational climate and culture where both students and staff thrive. 

Madicyn Reid

The Fountain Hills Unified School District (FHUSD) Governing Board has recently been discussing the consolidation of schools. A committee was formed to weigh the priorities of the district against the challenges of the consolidation. I was fortunate to be present at the committee meetings to discuss these matters with a current School Board member, members of the community, other parents, the facilities manager, FHUSD staff, and the superintendent.

There’s a lot to consider when making a change of this magnitude. Some of the priorities are fiscal responsibility with the cost of needed repairs to maintain McDowell Mountain Elementary and keep it operating, the efficiency of district staff and support on site for our teachers with things like maintenance, security and custodial needs, and most importantly, the experience and safety of our students.

One challenge is the physical space and cost of changes needed to accommodate the influx of new students to the existing building. Another challenge will be accommodating for higher-than-expected future enrollment. While the proposed consolidation plan makes excellent use of the available space, if the enrollment grows, which we hope it does, the district will quickly outgrow the plans. That’s been a topic of discussion, as current enrollment was up 43 students according to Superintendent Jagodzinski at the August 10 Coffee with Cain.

Judith Rutkowski

As with any substantial change, the consolidation of schools can be a challenge to parents and students, as well as teachers. Implementing the consolidation over summer break is the most logical time, since some students will be newly enrolled and others would already be moving to a different campus under the current system. The implementation can be successfully managed by clear and detailed communication to parents and students before and during the process. Effective communication is the biggest priority.

Libby Settle

Socrates once said, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” We must focus on the present and how to bring the community together to build the new foundation of FHUSD.

As a district, our children, community and future are the biggest priorities. Part of this is ensuring the stakeholders view the consolidation as a success. This can be attained by continued communication with all members to ensure a smooth transition. While the board hasn’t made a final decision, there is uncertainty that needs to be addressed and overall awareness increased regarding the upcoming Town Halls.

I believe our district is facing two bigger challenges regarding consolidation. One is the ability to fund the approximate $1.1 million in projected “re-alignment” costs. As of April 26, 2022, FHUSD had unrestricted capital of around $2.7 million. With little to no construction overruns or miscalculations, our district would be left with about $1.5 million for any unforeseen emergencies.

In addition, a report by Gordian (a leading provider of facility and construction cost data), projected that our district has numerous building priorities to be addressed in the next 10-20 years totaling approximately $37.5 million. For our district and current budget these figures are a big challenge. In addition, FHUSD faces yet another reminder that our enrollment is decreasing. The projected enrollment of 686 students in just eight years (shared at the May 10, 2022 board meeting) is staggering; but projections can change.

As a community, we need to rebuild the excitement in our town’s largest employer, our school. I believe we are on the cusp of an amazing time for our community, especially with Dr. J focusing on making our district the best it can be today and working towards being fiscally responsible.