Setting IV Planning

A quick summary:

• The ISD 728 School Board and Superintendent have established a goal to address the need for dedicated Setting IV special education programming to serve our learners in an appropriate and compliant setting.
• This work is being done in alignment with the ISD 728 Community Facilities Task Force, which is developing recommendations for the school board on the growth happening in the schools in the southern end of ISD 728.
• To date, the School Board is considering three options to address the district’s Setting IV needs. One of the three options the board is considering, Option 3 (Repurposing a school), is the least expensive compliant model, estimated at $12 million, which utilizes existing funds and requires no new taxation.
• The proposal would repurpose an elementary school by transitioning the 5th grade to the middle schools (VandenBerge and Salk). This mirrors the ISD 728 Rogers and Prairie View Middle School models.
• Transitioning 5th grade maximizes space at Salk and VandenBerge Middle Schools, which have been operating significantly under capacity (60%).
• The capacity created at an elementary school building would allow it to be repurposed to serve as a specialized facility for multiple ISD 728 programs (Setting IV and Alternative Learning Center/ALC).
• Certain populations of students within ISD 728 are required by federal law (IDEA) to have more specific and appropriate programming, which requires different spaces than what is currently available.
• Currently, specialized programs are scattered throughout the District at many different sites, which makes it difficult to fund, staff, and provide adequate support for students, and is inefficient for specialized professionals who lose hours traveling between sites.
• This proposal allows the District to maximize current facilities and be fiscally responsible before having to go back to the taxpayers and ask for additional funds for new construction.
• The 5th-grade transition would provide additional opportunities for consistent programming with the K-4 and 5-8 model, and would allow for K-8 District-wide magnet programming.
• Even after an Elk River Elementary school is repurposed, the District would still be able to accommodate future student enrollment growth.
• In this proposal, current middle and high school boundaries would be maintained for the foreseeable future.

Description: This option would keep Setting IV students in their current settings and attempt to remodel those spaces to meet legal requirements for the participating learners.

Compliance: This option is not in compliance with federal guidelines for Setting IV programming. By definition, Federal Setting IV requires a 100% self-contained separate site where students receive special education services away from their general education peers for a full day.

Financial Impact: The construction costs required to bring current sites into compliance are considered too costly. The estimated cost for additions at Meadowvale Elementary School (MES) and VandenBerge Middle School (VMS) is $10.75 - $14.75 million.

• This estimate may not include additional expenses for items like a storm shelter, separate common facilities, or separating general education peers.
• It would require a combination of capital, Long-Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM), and/or referendum dollars.

Capacity Impact: Students needing Setting IV services will likely not be served in the appropriate setting due to space limitations. Elk River Elementary Schools and Middle Schools would also continue to be projected under capacity for at least the next five years.

Efficiency Impact: Staffing remains inefficient because the programs are spread across multiple locations. The 18-22 year-old transition programming would remain in high schools. It does not reduce student behavioral distractions to the general student campus.

Description: This option involves constructing a new, separate facility specifically designed to meet the legal requirements for Setting IV special education programming.

Compliance: This option is in compliance with federal guidelines for Setting IV programming, as the new facility would be a self-contained, separate site designed for these specialized learners.

Financial Impact: This is the most expensive compliant model. The estimated cost is $30 - $35 million for a new 45,000 square foot building.

• This construction would require an operating referendum (new taxes) to fund.

Capacity Impact: It meets the specialized facility needs for Setting IV programming and moves the 18-22 year-old transition programming from the high schools.

Efficiency Impact: It would improve staffing efficiency by centralizing the specialized programs. However, the existing elementary and middle schools in Elk River would still continue to be projected under capacity for at least the next five years.

Description: This option involves a realignment of grade levels to create space, allowing one elementary school to be repurposed into a specialized facility.

Grade Transition: 5th-grade students in Elk River would transition from elementary schools to Salk and VandenBerge Middle Schools (moving to a K-4 and 5-8 model, matching the Rogers and Otsego schools).

Repurposing: The space created in an elementary school would allow that building to be repurposed to serve as a centralized facility for Setting IV specialized programs and the Alternative Learning Center (ALC).

Compliance: This option is in compliance with federal guidelines for Setting IV programming by providing a dedicated, self-contained, separate site.

Financial Impact: This is the least expensive compliant model. The estimated cost is $12 million.

• It utilizes existing capital/Long-Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM) funds and requires no new taxation (no referendum needed).

Capacity and Efficiency Impact:

• It maximizes the use of space by filling the current under-capacity spaces at Salk and VandenBerge Middle Schools (currently ~60% capacity).
• It centralizes specialized programs, improving staffing efficiency and providing better, more consistent programming for students with special needs.
• It maintains current middle and high school boundaries and still allows the District to accommodate future student enrollment growth.

The repurposed elementary school facility would be dedicated to centralizing several specialized programs that currently operate inefficiently across multiple sites in the District. The primary student populations served would be those requiring intensive special education services and those enrolled in the District's alternative learning program.

1. Setting IV Special Education Program:

• Students Served: Learners with the most significant emotional and behavioral challenges whose needs cannot be met in a less restrictive environment.
• Goal: To provide a self-contained, therapeutic environment compliant with federal law (IDEA). These students require a high staff-to-student ratio, specialized curriculum, and a facility designed to safely address their intensive needs away from general education peers for their entire school day.

2. Alternative Learning Center (ALC):

• Students Served: High school students who are credit-deficient, have attendance issues, or require a non-traditional learning environment to earn their diploma.
• Goal: To provide a flexible, personalized, and supportive pathway to graduation that is not available in the traditional comprehensive high school setting.

3. Transition Program (Ages 18-22):

• Students Served: Young adults with developmental disabilities who have completed their high school coursework but are still eligible for special education services up to age 22. This program is also known as COMPASS.
• Goal: To offer vocational training and life skills instruction focused on transitioning to independent living and employment in the community. This program currently operates at the ISD 728 District Office and within the high school buildings.

The new facility's purpose is to consolidate these three programs into a single, efficient, and appropriate site, providing them with the dedicated spaces and resources required for their unique instructional models, which are often difficult to accommodate in traditional school buildings.

The decision to repurpose an elementary school (Option 3) involves changing the grade configuration for many students. However, the plan is designed to address a significant legal mandate and a critical efficiency problem affecting the entire district, ultimately benefiting all students and taxpayers.

The core driver for this change is the need to provide legally compliant facilities for students with intensive needs.

• Federal Mandate (IDEA): The District is legally required to provide students who need Setting IV special education with a separate, dedicated facility and appropriate resources.
• Quality of Education: Currently, these specialized students are served across many locations, which is inefficient and compromises the quality of their mandated services. Centralizing them ensures they get the dedicated, appropriate, and compliant instruction they need and deserve.
• Impact on General Education: When specialized programs are housed in general education settings without the appropriate facilities, it often leads to disruptions that detract from the learning environment for all students. Moving these programs to a separate, dedicated facility is expected to improve focus and stability in the general education classrooms.

The proposal is not just about an alternative learning facility; it is a solution for maximizing the use of large, underutilized buildings across the District.

• Maximizing Middle School Space: Salk and VandenBerge Middle Schools are currently operating significantly under capacity (around 60%). The move of the 5th grade to these schools utilizes this existing space efficiently, creating a sustainable capacity model (5-8) that mirrors the south end of the District.
• Fiscal Responsibility: Option 3 is the least expensive compliant option (estimated at $12 million) and uses existing capital funds, requiring no new tax increase or bond referendum. Building a new, separate facility (Option 2) would cost $30-$35 million and require new taxes. By utilizing current space, the District is being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars.
• Operational Efficiency: Centralizing the Alternative Learning Center (ALC) and the Transition Program (ages 18-22) along with Setting IV services, dramatically improves staffing and resource efficiency.

The change in grade configuration (moving 5th grade to middle school) provides educational benefits to both elementary and middle school students:

• Enhanced 5th Grade Curriculum: Fifth graders gain access to specialized teachers (e.g., subject-specific math, science, art, music) and dedicated middle school facilities (labs, media centers) that are typically not available at the elementary level.
• Consistent Grade Model: The move aligns the Elk River schools with the successful K-4 and 5-8 grade structure already in place in Rogers and Otsego, providing programming consistency.

The disruption of a repurposed building is a strategic realignment that solves a critical legal/programming deficiency while simultaneously making the entire District's facility use more efficient and fiscally responsible.

The ISD 728 School Board believes in providing appropriate spaces for all students. The District is aiming for a comprehensive solution that addresses multiple needs and aligns with the School Board's commitment to serving all residents effectively and efficiently.

• Serving All Students: The School Board believes in serving all students, including those students with disabilities, within their local school district. Simply doing the "basic requirements" often means providing a service that is geographically distant, less efficient, or minimally resourced.
• Student Focus: The District is committed to providing programming that meets the entire range of student needs, not just the legal minimum. The needs of students requiring a Setting IV program are often complex. Providing a robust, centralized facility that includes the Alternative Learning Center (ALC) and Transition programs (ages 18-22) ensures these students receive the appropriate level of dedicated support based on their needs.

• School Board Safety Goal: The Setting IV proposal directly addresses the School Board's goal regarding school safety. By moving students who require the most intensive behavioral support into a specialized, therapeutic, and controlled setting, the District can reduce classroom disruptions, address staff safety, and enhance the learning environment for all students in the general education schools.
• Operational Efficiency: Centralizing programs like the ALC and Transition services alongside Setting IV dramatically improves staffing efficiency. It cuts down on travel time for specialized professionals and ensures resources are consistently available, which ultimately benefits all students across the District.

This comprehensive approach is viewed as both a morally and fiscally imperative, ensuring all students are served appropriately while maximizing the District's investment.

In these instances, what you're probably hearing about is known as an Intermediate School District. Intermediates are specialty districts that provide services like special education, career and technical programs, and online learning. 

ISD 728 and our Facilities Committee have, in fact, explored options like these. The intermediate school districts that could practically service our community are at or over capacity and, in some cases, searching for their own building needs, or are not taking on new member school districts. In other words, they could not accommodate the number of students that would utilize Setting IV services at this time.

The School Board directed the SB Facilities Committee to concentrate on and present only three options to the Board. These three options (Continue Services, Build New Facility, Repurpose School) were selected as the most viable because they were determined to be the most cost-effective, best served the students' needs, and provided the necessary appropriate settings for students and staff.

The Facilities Committee considered various other approaches before narrowing down the options. Two significant ideas that were ultimately not selected include:

• Moving students to be served by an Intermediate District:
  • Reason Not Selected: This option conflicts with the District's core morals and values regarding taking care of its own students within its local community. It would also likely lead to higher costs (tuition, fees, and transportation) while compromising local control and programming consistency.
• Doing nothing and maintaining current levels of service and facilities:
  • Reason Not Selected: This option is untenable due to legal and moral concerns.
    • Compliance Concerns: The current scattered facility model for Setting IV special education is not compliant with federal law (IDEA), leaving the District exposed to legal action.
    • Student Service: It fails to address the critical need to serve students at the appropriate levels and settings, violating the commitment to "doing what is right" for all learners.

The three options presented to the Board were chosen because they represent the most responsible path toward achieving legal compliance, fiscal efficiency, and educational equity for all students in ISD 728.

The tax impact varies significantly among the three options, ranging from no new tax increase to a major rise requiring a voter-approved referendum. 

Option 1: Remodel Existing Sites (Likely Tax Increase)

• Cost: $10.75- $14.75$ Million.

• Tax Impact: While the cost is comparable to Option 3, this option may still require a referendum because it may not be fully compliant (meaning the District might have to spend more later) and the total cost might exceed what can be comfortably covered by existing facility funds alone.

Option 2: Build a New Facility (Higher Tax Increase)

• Cost: $30 - $35 Million.

• Tax Impact: Requires a significant tax increase that would need to be approved by voters through a new operating referendum. Building new facilities for this size and scope is the most expensive path, and the funding must come from new property taxes.

Option 3: Repurpose a School (No New Tax)

• Cost: $12 Million.

• Tax Impact: Zero new taxation. This option is designed to use existing capital/Long-Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM) funds. The District is able to fund this project by utilizing money it already collects for facility needs, avoiding the need to ask taxpayers for additional money through a bond or levy referendum.

• Fiscal Commitment: The District is prioritizing this approach because it fulfills the legal and programmatic mandate for Setting IV compliance while honoring the community's request to maximize current facilities and be fiscally responsible before imposing any new tax burden.