Demarest School District Referendum Is this the right plan?

SCHOOL POPULATION

Student to Teacher Ratio

4 NEW CLASSROOMS Luther Lee Elementary

1) Small Group Instruction LLE strength from Ad Hoc report: – Excellent support services enhance opportunities for special needs and identified students. – SGI/Special Education programs are offered in full size classrooms – District should consider designing special education rooms to better meet the needs of the students.

2) Differentiated Learning Pulling out by ability group is not differentiation It utilizes all types of learners in one classroom Additional classrooms are not needed (Scholastic’s definition:

2) Differentiation Ends Ability Grouping “Rather than achieving its purported goal – to tailor instruction to the diverse needs of students – [ability grouping] has, over decades of extensive research, been repeatedly found to be harmful to students enrolled in lower tracks and to provide no significant advantages for higher- tracked students” -National Education Policy Center (

No programs have been identified that would require additional space for STEM education in LLE. Next Generation Science Standards promote: - Collaboration in heterogeneous grouping - Combining of math and science instruction 3) Introduction to STEM

2) Differentiated Learning 3) Introduction to STEM GroupPhilosophy BOE and SuperintendentHappens in a dedicated classroom. Demarest Resident, Brian Faehndrich K-12 Science Supervisor at nearby Westwood Regional School District Integrated within current classroom settings.

4) Language and Learning Disabled

Recalculated LLD Projected Costs ItemHow Many Cost Teachers1$67,500 Aides4$62,800 Support Services Specialist0.5$33,740 Proportion of Capital Improvement Not Including Interest 1$30,000 TOTAL$194,040 NET SAVINGS$45,960

LLE Expansion Scorecard RoomJustifiableReason Small Group InstructionNoAd Hoc Report states not needed. Differentiated LearningNoCan happen in classrooms with coordination STEMNoCan happen in regular classroom. Alternative program undefined. Language Learning DisabledYesCost savings Overall ResultNoBenefit to cost ratio at worse: insufficient at best: undefined

$6 MILLION NEW GYM Demarest Middle School

DMS Expansion Scorecard – Gym Related ItemWorthwhile Reason Response Students lose about 15% of gym times due to the gym being used for assemblies and presentations. No Percentage can be reduced by going outside Sept – Nov and April – June. Students have gym only ¾ of the year. Students lose other instructional time that don’t require new facility builds. Enhance physical education program such as Project Adventure Games Partial Valid but very expensive reason. Improved lifelong health & wellness programs such as yoga on a daily basis No Can be accomplished without a $6 million gym Enhances MS interscholastic program No The $6 million equivalent at LLE is good enough

DMS Expansion Scorecard – SMART Space ItemWorthwhile Reason Response Opportunity to expand engineering and STEM activities such as roller coaster construction or robotics. Partial Quantify demand. Who will facilitate? What instructional time will be replaced? Increased room for S.M.A.R.T. SPACE Partial Quantify demand. Who will facilitate. What instructional time is being replaced? Provides for expansion of music (use of stage) and theater arts activities such as drama elective courses NoAd Hoc report states DMS has “Excellent art and music facilities”. Creates space for a student art gallery No

DMS Expansion Scorecard – Other ItemWorthwhile Reason Response Allows for repurposing of old gymNo Provides space for large group programs, team teaching, cross curricular instruction and academic competitions. No Need to quantify why existing gym, cafeteria and media center cannot handle the projected demand. Enhance the community recreation programs No First use school funds to address educational needs. Community demand needs to be quantified by BOE to justify.

DMS Expansion Scorecard Tally AreaScore Gym Related1 Partial / 3 No SMART Space Related2 Partial / 2 No Other0 Partial / 3 No Total:3 Partial / 8 No

DMS Impactful Improvements Classroom storage and casework upgraded to enhance teaching and learning activities. Classroom lighting upgraded for aesthetics and energy savings. Continue science room upgrades. Media Center expansion to support 21st century media literacy applications.

DMS Maintain Existing Infrastructure Replace plumbing fixtures in 1948 wing Replace vinyl asbestos floor tiles (VAT) Masonry repairs in 1912 areaway Window repairs in 1956 wing Replace exterior and interior doors Replace phone system Upgrade temperature controls Resurface the parking lot

Upgrade Existing DMS Gym Install new bleachers Install new sound system Install adjustable backboards

OPERATIONAL COSTS State Imposed 2% Tax Levy

Utility Cost per Square Foot ItemValue 2013 Electric & Natural Gas Cost ($153, ,447) $225,901 CRS, LLE, DMS Total Sq. Feet138,945 sq feet Cost per square foot$1.63 per sq ft 30% efficient factor applied to new construction $1.14 per sq ft

Utility Cost Increase ItemValue Utility Cost Per Square Foot$1.14 per sq ft New Construction Sq. Feet (gym 12,000 + LLE 5,100) 17,100 sq feet Total Annual Utility Increase$19,494 per year

TAX IMPACT

Tax Impact Home Owner20 year cost Laura Gross$9,841 BOE Member Total$104,291 BOE Member Low End$6,155 BOE Member High End$37,036 BOE Member Average$14,900

CONCLUSION