Grades 4-5 would move to Middle School site; proposal being developed on possible move of track and football field

By John McLoone

PRESCOTT – The Prescott School Board will tackle a couple of big things in coming months.

A workshop meeting will be held on a date to be determined in September to discuss the possibility of housing sixth through eighth grades in what is now the intermediate school and sending fourth and fifth grades to the cur rent middle school building.

Also on tap in coming months will be a long-term discussion on what to do about the track around Laney Field. It will need to be refurbished and expanded to be able to host multi-school meets. In the long run, is the district better off investing funds for a new track and football facility on property at the high school?

Superintendent Dr. Rick Spicuzza introduced the topics at the monthly school board meeting Wednesday, Aug. 17. Also on the board plate will be a discussion of switching the high school to a six-period day, rather than the current five periods.

Switching schools

Spicuzza said that studies conducted by the board have shown that the Prescott Middle School building should only house two grades.

“It is something that’s been the elephant in the room,” he told the board. “We have had two independent facility studies that have identified that the current middle school facility is viable, and we’re investing in and maintaining that. But it’s viable for two grade levels.” The middle school, located at 125 Elm St. N., is the oldest of the district’s buildings.

On the flip side, the Malone Intermediate School, the former high school building, is much larger and more modern. “The physical state of the students and space matches better with our middle school students,” said Spicuzza. “It impacts students’ learning and programming. We do not have flexibility for any collaboration space or small group instruction based on how the middle school building is situated. I believe that sixth, seventh and eighth grade are

See PSD BOARD, Page 9

The Prescott School Board will hear proposals in coming months on the future of the track that surrounds Laney Field. Superintendent Dr. Rick Spicuzza said there are several options for the track, including replacing it in its current size, expanding it to a larger size at the current location or looking into moving the track and football field to property at Prescott High School. The athletic complex located at Prescott Intermediate School has a six-lane track, which means Prescott can’t host multi-team meets. Most standard tracks are eight lanes. The view above shows the current athletic facility. In the background is the Prescott School District property.

Submitted photo PSD board

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a best fit at the intermediate school.” Administration would like the change made so that the buildings are switched around a year from now when students head back to school.

“In order to pull this o and make sure we’re not underusing a facility, I believe that we should be planning for fall 2023 of making the swap,” he said.

Some changes would be needed at the intermediate school, such as the facilities garage being relocated to allow for construction of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) space. Spicuzza said that the $15 million referendum passed in April to be used for maintenance and needed-infrastructure and safety projects means that funds in the district budget and money set aside for long-term building projects could be utilized for any needs in the process of moving the grades.

“That would be an investment. The good news is you have to money to make the investment to enhance and create a space. If you’re go – ing to make an investment in reconfiguring space, the intermediate school is the place to do it,” Spicuzza said. “If we were to try to address both the garage and the STEM space, those are things we’d have to shake a leg to get after.

“I wanted to propose first that this is something that is a better use of our facilities, matches what we’re trying to do for our students, and we do have some revenue and strategic planning that was done. You wouldn’t have to go to the community to ask for additional money.” Board members questioned the aggressive timeline and agreed it’s an important topic for a work session with the full board to see options. Board members were going to communicate to try to set aside an evening next month when they could all attend.

“I feel like this is one of the long-term planning things that has to happen,” said Tanya Holub. “I’m not comfortable with swapping two buildings around without really thinking this through.” She said she’d like to see proposals with, perhaps, fourth through sixth grades together in one building. “I don’t know if fourth and fifth grade makes a ton of sense in the middle school. That is not a super elementary-type of building. For me, there’s going to be a lot more to it than a quick decision by December,” Holub said. “I would like to see what it would look like with seventh and eighth at the intermediate and four, five, six at the middle school build – ing. I don’t want just one thing. I would want to see a comparison of some options so we can make decisions and not just be presented one option.” Steve Sizemore agreed. “The building and facility discussions are going to take longer than what’s described here,” he said.

School Board President Mike Matzek said administration should “prepare for a workshop. When you’re ready, we can schedule something. Given the aggressive ask to have the move in fall 2023, if we’re going to take our best shot at doing that, we’ll have to schedule something sooner rather than later.” He said that after the workshop, the board would need to update the community and get feedback.

Not on the table is not utilizing all four buildings into the future. There was talk in years past of not utilizing the aging middle school building, but the public was opposed to that.

“That’s what the community wants. That’s what we’re going to do,” said Holub.

Matzek commented, “We’re talking about the possibility of doing a grade shift. That’s it.” Track, football and Coulee River Trails Spicuzza said the school district hasn’t been able to be an active member in the Coulee River Trails initiative be – cause of the number of things on its plate in the last year. The trail system is be – ing developed with the CRT group under the auspices of Freedom Park. The trailhead will be at Magee Park and trails are planned through Prescott and Oak Grove, including on school district land.

Spicuzza said the district needs to plan use of its green space, and the future of the track and football field are part of that discussion.

“We’ve unpacked the last 12 months and identified the proposals that we saw at the top of our list. This year, we really have from the time our staff came back on Aug. 9 de –

voted ourselves to reimagining our academic model and making sure to keep it at the right level,” he said. “There’s been a lot of requests that we have had to hit pause. The Coulee River Trail, we just didn’t have the mind, band –

width or personnel to commit to.” The district is partnering with the CRT group on a new cross country course this year.

“A couple things with regard to green space. We have the cross country trail, and we want to partner with the CRT system. That has multiple components. We also on our own property have a track. That track is like a wood floor. You can refinish it and resurface it three times. After three times, you have to replace it,” Spicuzza said.

The current track around Laney Field, where football games are held, “is showing premature wearing,” Spicuzza told the board. “We have had the company come out and work on it this summer.” The cost to replace it, as is, in a tight spot in the current football stadium configuration, would be $250,000.

“It is currently constrained. We are unable to hold multiple-team events,” Spicuzza noted. He said that’s one option. Another would be to expand the track footprint at its current location, which would include moving the grandstand and lights. “We have a lot of space at the intermediate (school) location,” Spicuzza said. “If we want to enhance it, what’s the cost for that?” That brings about the third option: Relocating it to the high school property.

“Should we be consider – ing relocating it. Since it’s a varsity track, should we locate it here?” he asked.

He said a community advisory committee should look at the proposals “and flush out what it would look like.” That discussion could also impact the CRT involvement if the athletic complex were to be relocated as a potential site would be behind the First National Bank Field on the property.

“Is there any reason we shouldn’t at least have the exploration of relocating a track or is that a nonstarter?” asked Spicuzza.

Matzek stressed that this is just an “initial discussion.” Vicki Rudolph comment – ed, “I think it’s a good idea to look at all of them (the different options). “I did at – tend the one track meet we did have here. It wasn’t a big invitational. It was our local competitors. It’s kind of a bummer that the high school students can’t have their home track meet on their home track. I think we need to kind of look at it. We have space. I think we need to look at what we can do with the space we have.” Moving the track would mean moving the football field as well.

“We can’t talk about those three options without talking about football too,” said Holub.

Spicuzza replied, “Those are the dominos.” He said many districts have a 20-year plan for athletic facilities, and he sees Prescott needing to come up with a five-10-year plan.

“We will be forced with a decision. If we don’t do anything, there won’t even be the ability to be proactive and have events here. We know we have to do something,” he said.

The matter will be discussed further in the near future.

High school schedule

The high school is currently on a trimester schedule with five 70-minute classes per day.

With that schedule, math is taught in two of the trimesters for longer time.

Administration is proposing switching to six periods to allow a critical class like math to be taken all three trimesters.

“One of the primary class – es we have noticed is in the area of mathematics. In the research, one of the things we’re finding is having two trimesters of math and then having your third trimester o, plus summer, that there’s regressing. It’s not just math,” said Spicuzza.

He said that PHS Principal Josh Fiege and the staff have put together a proposal for the change that they would like to have enacted next school year.

“There’s already a lot of input and work that’s been done,” Spicuzza said.

The board will review a final proposal in coming months that shows the impact on staff who teach in more than one building and how it affects credits and schedule offerings.

“Hopefully by next month, we’ll be able to have a good discussion at the regular board meeting,” said Matzek.