Teutopolis Committee Looks at Student Space Needs

The facility study committee created by the Teutopolis Board of Education Thursday looked at space needs per student.

Teutopolis Superintendent Bill Fritcher said committee members looked at the recommended square footage requirements per student and reviewed the District's enrollment to determine how many students could be accommodated in district buildings.

Fritcher said he doesn't think there will be any recommendations for the school board as to how students should be housed, especially not in the short term, but the research done will be of use to the Board if enrollment continues to decrease or if state financing continues to decline, or both.

As examples, Fritcher said the information would show whether the District could house Grades 7-12 at the high school, or Grades K-8 at the grade school, or whether a wing of the grade school could be closed and students moved to the junior high building.  Again, those are only scenarios the Board might want to consider if future conditions warrant a change from how students are currently housed and are three of many scenarios that could be considered.

The committee also heard from Eric and Craig Pals of Tick Tock Energy on the benefits if the District undertook a sustainable energy project to replace the junior high school roof, and whether grants are available to help finance such projects.

Fritcher said the committee will likely meet one more time before presenting their findings to the school board.