Capacity versus Core

There has been a lot of discussion lately about capacity versus core.  By no means am I an expert on the subject, but I am going to try and explain it to the best of my knowledge.  I served on the Facilities Master Planning Committee and learned a great deal about our existing schools.  The following information is based on my notes from being on the Committee. 

The terms capacity and core are used to describe the number of students a building is designed to accommodate.  Capacity refers to classroom space and specialty space.  Core refers to everything else including media centers, gyms, kitchens, cafeterias, and office space.  The industry standard is that a school should have a capacity that is no more that 90% of what its core space can handle.  

Increasing enrollment figures have led classroom and specialty space to slowly take over core space.  Basically, core is the actual square footage while capacity is the number of students a school can handle when space is used as intended.  Recent projections show that we would require a minimum of 20 classrooms to ease some of the burden on grades 1-8. 

Ideally, the Middle School would have 19 homerooms and 12 specialized rooms for art, music, computers, languages, special education, enrichment, health and reading.  With this configuration the Middle School has the capacity for 376 students.  Because enrollment figures have reached 625 students, specialized rooms have been repurposed as homerooms (31 total), putting the school well over its intended capacity. The core of the current Middle School is actually capable of handling 693 students.  But because both specialty areas and core spaces are being used for classrooms, the end result is the entire school is overcrowded. 

The classroom and specialty room capacity at Golden Brook School is ideally suited for 306 students. Enrollment figures exceed 600 students, putting it at nearly double its capacity.  The media center is severely undersized for a school this large. Because the gym and cafeteria are co-utilized, as core spaces they are only suitable for 360 students. 

Center School is similar to Golden Brook School.  Theoretically it has classroom and specialty space to accommodate 400+ students, yet enrollment figures are over 660, putting it way over capacity.  If other areas of the building were used as originally intended, the core could handle about 560 students.

A common misconception is that the High School has space to accommodate the 8th grade.  The High School was built with a core space for 1000.  The school will be near or at capacity within the next two years.  Keep in mind that the actual capacity is calculated differently than that of an elementary school because teachers require dedicated classroom space.  Also, unless we wanted to fully integrate the 8th grade into the High School, they would require a minimum of nine classrooms, therefore directly affecting the capacity for grades 9-12. 

Grades 1-8 are so far over capacity that the School Board is recommending Warrant Article 2 which will provide guaranteed prices for a new school on London Bridge Road.  Your YES vote on Warrant Article 2 will help ensure that a bond for a new school will be on the ballot in 2013.  This is no longer a want - it is a need that cannot be ignored.  Please join me at the Deliberative Session this Friday, February 10, 2012 at 7pm at the High School to ensure that Warrant Article 2 is supported.