Seven who addressed the board spoke for saving the school, three others urged its closing, and two encouraged the board to move forward with improving facilities, new or otherwise.
“For years, I’ve been wondering when we’d be able to do something for our schools,” said Thomas McDonnell, who was among those who offered comments either on Zoom or in-person. McDonnell said he favored some sort of investment, whether upgrading existing facilities or building new, for the sake of the district’s students. “It’s the best investment we can make,” he said.
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At the hearing’s start, Superintendent Dale Brandsoy said the Bird Island school “is no longer a healthy, safe viable space for education in its current state.” He pointed to an analysis by ICS Consulting that determined it would cost $17.5 million to correct its basic deficiencies without improving educational opportunities. The superintendent said the district doe not have the enrollment or fiscal resources to operate two, separate campuses.
Ryan Hoffman, with ICS Consulting, said the district has a current enrollment of 632 students. Together, the facilities in Olivia and Bird Island provide the capacity for 1,374 students.
Opponents of closing the Bird Island school warned board members that it was “premature” to do so before they know if voters will support a $49 million bond issue for a new facility in a February 2021 referendum. Mark Glesener pointed out that a survey conducted by the Bird Island Economic Development Agency earlier this year found that a majority of respondents, 58 percent, wanted the district to open dialogue with the Buffalo Lake Hector Stewart district about building needs.
Neal Prokosch, also a critic of closing the school, said the EDA survey found that most respondents did not support building a new preK-12 facility co-located with a Wellness Center on the Olivia Hospital and Clinics campus. The district’s own survey also showed that most people who do not have children in the school would not support the new school proposal, he added.
Prokosch charged that the district had neglected the Bird Island facility, with mold issues occurring after an October 2019 rain event. He expressed frustration that a majority of board members have already made up their minds to close the school with intentions of building a new preK -12 school. “This public hearing is a formality,” he said.
Teresa Jacobs said the Bird Island facility has a larger gym and other attributes that serve students better than the school in Olivia. She suggested removing the top floors and upgrading the lower level for continued use.
Others suggested it is not fiscally responsible to build new when the facility in Olivia could be upgraded for less cost. It has all of the needed space and athletic facilities, they pointed out.
Some urged board members to close the Bird Island school. Nicole Baumgartner, an instructor and mother, spoke about the health issues her daughters experienced in the Bird Island facilities due to mold problems.
Most people accept reality and realize that closing the Bird Island school is in the best interest of children, according to Ron Bailey, the first to address the board. He cited the district’s enrollment level, limited fiscal resources, and concerns about safety in the Bird Island school as reasons for its closure.
“The board has some tough decisions to make,” Superintendent Brandsoy said at the hearing’s conclusion. He said board members will decide whether to close the school at their Oct. 26 meeting.
Currently, BOLD is hosting K-12 classes in the Olivia Junior/High School facility, but continues to use the gymnasium in Bird Island. Mold issues in the upper two floors led to decisions in the previous two years to move the elementary grades to the Olivia campus.
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October 21, 2020 at 06:00PM
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BOLD hearing shows divide over closing Bird Island building campus - West Central Tribune
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