Facilities Next Steps Discussed at Community Information Session

Facilities Next Steps Discussed at Community Information Session
Posted on 10/24/2024
Crumbling red brick wall with invitation message Facilities Community Information Session Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 at 6 p.m. in the Washington Auditorium
See video recording
At an Oct. 23 Community Information Session on district facilities planning, Interim Supt. Lee Thennes said he is excited for the district to create a master facilities plan that will serve MPSD students, families and community for the next 50 to 75 years.
Thennes, a former Lincoln High School principal and teacher who was named as Interim Superintendent in September, has begun to gather community input on MPSD's facilities needs, following a comprehensive facilities audit that found about $161 million in repairs and maintenance needs over the next 10 years.
Thennes met with staff at every school in the district throughout October to share audit information and answer questions. He did the same with community at an information session Oct. 23 in the Washington Middle School auditorium. The event was not live-streamed or recorded due to challenges in the aging auditorium, but Thennes recorded the presentation which you can watch below or here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zIRyqITrds. The presentation slides also are shown below.
Thennes told the community he plans to seek Board of Education support as he takes these next steps in the district's master facilities planning:
  • Present to the Board a proposal to fund critical maintenance projects across the district.
  • Create two facility advisory committees that will start meeting in January or February 2025 to review longer-term and larger potential projects and issues such as budget challenges, declining enrollment and excess school capacity. One facilities advisory committee will be composed of MPSD staff and another will be composed of community members.
  • Mail a survey to every MPSD household in January with information about the facilities needs and seeking feedback on issues and options.
  • Share the survey results with the two facilities advisory committees to help them develop recommendations to the Board on long-term master facilities planning for elementary and secondary schools.

Learn more about the facilities audit.
Watch a recording of the Community Information presentation:

See the Oct. 23, 2024 presentation slides here and shown below:

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