Enrollment Growth
Meetings
February 2012
Superintendent Mark Dockins
Presentation Purposes
 Why the need for a change?
 What are some proposed solutions?
 How much will the proposed solutions cost?
 When can the proposed plans be operational?
What is prompting this need for a
change?
Explosive Enrollment Growth
 Uintah was the fastest growing school district in the state
last year at 4.6%.
 Uintah continues to show enrollment growth even while
other counties and states are in economic decline.
 Our senior class this year has 391 students which started
with 451 Kindergarten students.
 This year our Kindergarten class has 726 students.
 Our Kindergarten class for next year is projected to be 785.
2006-2012 Enrollment History
9000
8500
Student Enrollment
8000
7500
7000
6500
6000
5500
5000
Enrollment Projections
Oct 2011
School
Oct 2012
Oct 2015
Capacity Enrollment Enrollment Enrollment
East Side Elementary
3500
2860
*3071
*3682
Vernal Middle
1000
928
*971
*1239
Vernal Jr. High
1000
870
*1010
*1110
Uintah High School
1500
1133
*1131
*1302
*Calculated
with a three
year average
*Calculated
with a five
year
average
What are some proposed
solutions?
Four Possible Solutions
 Adopt a Year-Round School Schedule
 Build additions onto Vernal Middle and Vernal
Junior High Schools to increase capacities
 Bond to build a new high school, move 9th graders
up to the high school level and change the
configuration at VJH/VMS
 Complete Current 10 year plan with an addition at
UHS to accommodate 9th graders and change the
configuration at VJH/VMS
Year-Round Schooling
 More efficient use of building
 Research suggests it benefits At-Risk students
 On-going costs:1M
 Logistics of Scheduling
Additions at VJH/VMS
 Cost is not within scope of 10 year plan
 Both schools have already been remodeled recently
 How large do we want a middle school or junior high?
 Auditoriums, cafeterias, hallways, safety, space for
addition at VJH?
New Configuration with High
School
 K-5 Elementary schools
 Two 6,7,8 middle/junior high school
 Grades 9-12 high school
What Supports the Configuration of
moving 9th Grade to High School?
 Enrollment growth
 Curriculum and activity needs match better with a 6/7/8
school vs 8/9 school
 9th grade credit/counseling
 Academic interventions
 More efficient use of personnel and resources with 9th
grade at high school:
 Performing Arts
 CTE/ATC/Concurrent Ed
UHS: Last School in Ten Year Plan
 The scope of the ten year plan for the bond was to remodel
UHS.
 Within the scope of the remodel there are issues with
stadium, cafeteria, auditorium and all mechanicals.
 This is planned to be a two year project and is anticipated to
be in the 20M range.
 An addition to handle capacity could be accomplished
without raising taxes.
 Fiscal Responsibility
A New High School
 Smaller high school atmosphere
 More opportunities for students to participate in certain
activities
 How large do we want Uintah High School to be?
 Cost:
 Expense of building and purchase of property
 Expense of operating a new high school: duplication of
everything a high school needs
 Double the travel and expenses for extra-curricular/routes
 Lose identity of a single high school community
Cost of Proposals
 Year-round School: 1M increase in operational costs
 Additions to VJH/VMS:
 4.5 M
 Reconfiguration with New High School
 Bond (50 to 60 M)
 Property
 Building
 Leeway (6M)
 Maintenance and Operations
 Reconfiguration with UHS Expansion (3.5 M to add classroom capacity)
 UHS is last school on the ten year facilities plan and we can handle the cost
of the remodel without bonding and raising taxes
 Can be accomplished within the scope of the current ten year plan and
funding
When will the proposed changes
be implemented?
1. Year-round School: 2013-14
2. VMS/VJH Additions: 2014-15
3. UHS Addition: 2014-15
4. New High School: 2015-16
Thank you for your attendance. We
appreciate your interest in what we
are trying to accomplish.