A Majority of School Board Incumbents Say They Favor a Six-School Elementary Plan

The question of whether Ames students would be better served by five or six elementary schools was a topic of debate Thursday.

Eight Ames Community board candidates running for five seats took voters' questions in an Ames League of Women Voters candidate forum. Taking part were incumbents John Hascall, Mary Jurenka, Francis Todey and Dan Woodin and newcomers Rodney Briggs, Lucas Deardorff, Teresa Simpson and Mike Espeset.

When Ames residents vote on school board members Sept. 13, they will also be asked whether they would support a referendum that would be used to build three new elementary schools, reopen Roosevelt Elementary and update and elementary schools. If voters approve the measure, the district would operate six elementary schools. Three of the new schools would replace old ones. The district has been operating five elementary schools since closing the 88-year-old Roosevelt School in June of 2005.

Challengers and Woodin seemed to favor the five-school plan and larger schools with more sections of each grade, as opposed to smaller-section schools. They said larger schools would provide flexibility, greater teacher collaboration and save money.

Todey, Hascall and Jurenka said they were in favor of the six-school plan presented because any additional costs outweighed the gains in having smaller neighborhood schools.

Briggs said having more sections of the same grade would provide students access to more teachers within their grade who might be able to teach a concept in another way.

“You gain in teacher discussion and sharing ideas amongst the staff to help educate those kids,” he said.

Todey and Jurenka said small schools would mean more neighborhood schools and that would bring more people into the schools.

“The cost between five and six is low and it gives great gains,” Jurenka said in answer to one question.

Hascall said he is in favor of a five-school plan, but also agrees with the six-school plan because the differences in costs are very little.

“To me it comes down to this question: 'Would you rather spend $100,000 on a principal or on busing and I'd rather spend $100,000 on a principal, it's as simple as that,” Hascall said.

All members were asked how they would vote on the $65 million ballot issue.

Briggs said “I support the five school plan versus the six school plan. … It does cost more money to operate six.”

Deardorff said he will vote against it. “I feel we cannot support six schools from a financial perspective mainly.”

Espeset said it's clear the schools need to be invested in. “My position is we do that with five elementary schools.”

Hascall said he would vote for a total plan that is good for the district. “I proposed a five-school plan, but I will vote for a six-school plan. Costs are there, but small and worth it.”

Jurenka said she is in favor of six schools. She said the district has been studying the issue for three years and wanted to locate schools as close to students as possible.

Simpson said she favored five schools. “I have been told by Dr. (Tim) Taylor and Karen Shimp that opening a sixth school is going to cost us $411,000. That $411,000 is going to deprive our general budget.”

Todey said he is in favor of the six-school plan. He looked at options with four, five and six schools and the combination of costs. “If the community wants to have bigger schools, we can staff them. And if we staff them fairly, the costs come very close.”

Woodin said he doesn't want to open a sixth building because of the cost and said that adding sections of a grade to a building would not increase administration costs.

“I am concerned about opening a school and taking the funds and using it to open a building rather than continuing programs and perhaps restoring programs cut in the last two years,” Woodin said.

Incumbents Jurenka, Todey and Woodin and newcomers Briggs, Deardorff and Simpson are running for four, four-year seats. Incumbent Hascall, who was appointed to fill an unexpired term, has been challenged by Espeset for a two-year term.