Johnston School Board Meeting: Facility Plans, 2013-14 School Calendar

Tonight's Johnston Board of Education meeting should answer questions on several issues in the district.

Mainly, the district's plan for facilities and what the 2013-14 school calendar could look like.

After several work sessions and community meetings, the board is expected to make a decision on the future of facilities in the district.

One option discussed is a revision of the failed Sept. 11 bond issue that included building a new high school, renovating the existing high school to house middle school students, renovating the current middle school to house students from Wallace Elementary and to repurpose Wallace.

The revised option would total approximately $112 million, $10 million less than the previous plan.

Other options included:

• Additions and renovations to Johnston Middle School, Wallace Elementary and Johnston High School and the building of a sixth elementary school. Additional upgrades included for fiber and athletics and activities.
• Move forward with a 9-12 grade campus high school including additions to Johnston High School, building a new sixth- to eighth-grade middle school, build a sixth elementary school and renovate/add on to Wallace. Additional upgrades included for fiber and athletics and activities.

Calendar Discussion
The district will also discuss a possible calendar for the 2013-14 school year.

For the past several months a calendar committee, composed of teachers, administrators and parents, have discussed the most suitable calendar.

Parents and staff have also participated in a few surveys to gauge calendar needs.