Crowded Stillwater schools weigh big change

After election season ended, Stillwater area public school administrators launched a campaign advertising a "Vision 2014" plan.

The plan includes redistricting, reorganizing schools, changing curriculum, possibly adding a new high school or renovating the current one and building an early-childhood education center.

It also includes transforming the district's junior high schools to middle schools.

Under the direction of interim Superintendent Tom Nelson, administrators began developing the plan over the summer. After hearing from board members and staff, they now are pitching the plan to the community in a series of meetings. The district serves about 8,900 students and has 14 schools.

At a recent meeting at Stillwater High School's media center, some parents asked about attempting to make the high school more personal for students and changing the curriculum to allow for more courses. They also asked about costs associated with the upgrades, but the district said it's too early to put pricetags on possible changes.

Nelson hopes to present a draft of the plan during a board work session Dec. 2, and board members could vote on it as soon as Dec. 16. If it's approved, administrators will implement changes over the next four years, Nelson said.

The district is creating the plan to better prepare for dwindling funds from the state and cope with recent overcrowding of schools.

The district is considering shifting to a middle school that will serve sixth through eighth grades to improve test scores for freshmen and better accommodate sixth-graders who may be too mature for elementary school, Nelson said.

If the district decides to switch to a middle school model, it either would have to expand the high school or create a new high school to accommodate the freshman class. That may require asking the community to approve a new levy.

The more controversial part of the plan is likely to be redistricting, Nelson said.

"Everyone agrees that someone has to move, but nobody wants to move," he said.

Daarel Burnette II • 651-735-1695