BELOIT — The West Branch school board’s plan for district consolidation is starting to take shape.

Superintendent Timothy Saxton on Tuesday shared an update via Facebook Live on the process that will close Knox Elementary. The plan will place grades kindergarten through second at the West Branch Early Learning Center (currently Damascus Elementary), grades three through eight plus the preschool at the West Branch Intermediate and Middle School (currently the middle school) and grades nine through 12 at the high school.

Over 130 viewers tuned in to hear Saxton provide an updated timeline for the process and speak about tentative plans for start times, staff reductions and class sizes.

For the early learning center, the projected student enrollment will be 372 with six teachers at each grade. The day is slated for 8:55 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The student enrollment at the intermediate and middle school is projected at 944 with three teachers for preschool, six each for third and fourth, five for fifth, four each for sixth and seventh and seven for eighth (some teachers in grades six through eight teach at multiple levels). The school day for intermediate is slated for 9:10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the middle 7:35 a.m. to 2:48 p.m.

The high school student enrollment is projected at 611 with no major changes in faculty. The day is slated for 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

With the consolidation, the district is projected to save $933,880 per year, $485,933 in maintenance and operations and the remaining in personnel reductions. The personnel reductions include two teachers, five classified staff and three administrators through retirements or resignations and reductions in force (RIFs).

Saxton repeated the student-teacher ratio will not increase and the district must follow the collective bargaining agreement with the teachers union which requires a 25 to one ratio. He also said transportation will not be reduced to a single tier and there is no intention to change the bus routes, although the routes will have to be discussed to ensure students are being transported safely.

“We want to keep transportation as similar to what it is now as possible,” Saxton said.

Saxton’s new timeline for the consolidation process includes communicate staffing plan and form additional sub-committees as needed by April 15, finalize building start times and transportation by May 1, hold a community meeting if possible between June 15 and July 15, complete the consolidation process by July 31 and launch the final plan by Aug. 1.

Since January, Saxton has presented multiple plans to restructure the district to save money as the request of the school board. Other proposals included a variety of grade levels at various buildings and the closure of both Knox and Damascus Elementary schools. Savings ranged from approximately $500,000 to $1 million in operational costs and $300,000 to $500,000 in personnel.

Saxton said the administrative team of principals, directors and supervisors developed the current plan based on internal committee meetings, the public forum held earlier this month and numerous conversations with each other. He said the administrative team worked to balance the current curriculum with possible expansion of curriculum while remaining efficient in operations.

According to Saxton’s presentations, student enrollment has dropped nearly 500 students since 2009-2010 and sits at 1,980. Currently the district has 551 students at the high school in grades nine through 12 (82 attend the career center), 688 students at the middle school in grades five through eight and pre-school, 334 at Damascus Elementary in grades kindergarten through four and 325 at Knox Elementary in grades kindergarten through four.

Current operational costs, according to 2019 data from the Ohio Department of Education, are approximately $1.5 million for the high school, $1.1 million for the middle school, $490,000 for Damascus Elementary and $486,000 for Knox Elementary. The total operational cost per square for the all the buildings is $9.27 versus the state average of $7.

The board asked Saxton to present options to restructure the district to help battle a projected deficit spending of $700,000 to $800,000 the next five years. After multiple levies in the past few years failed by a growing margin, the board indicated a future levy is no longer an option. Saxton said the administrative team targeted the $900,000 savings to avoid needing a levy.

Saxton’s presentation is available on the district’s website along with an FAQ document. The presentation includes a breakdown of how the grades will be situated at each building.

For information or to share a concern contact Saxton at timothy.saxton@wbwarriors.org or 330-938-9324.

khowell@salemnews.net