NEW HIGH SCHOOL, CAREER ACADEMY ENVISIONED

By RICK MORAIN
For The Jefferson Herald

Representatives of a group of Greene County Community School District residents presented a potentially game-changing proposal for school facilities to the district’s school board at its Wednesday evening meeting.

The plan, outlined by Sid Jones and Chris Deal, asks the board to consider building a new high school on U.S. Highway 30 at the north edge of Jefferson and moving the middle school classes to the current high school building.

In addition, the group proposes building a regional career academy adjacent to the projected new high school for community college-level classes in several strands closely related to today’s Greene County economy: advanced manufacturing, agricultural technology, health care, hospitality and service employment, and software development (information technology).     

The intention is for the career academy to be staffed and furnished entirely by Iowa Central Community College, which would also provide maintenance and operations.

Iowa Central would sign a long-term lease with Greene County Schools for the facility.

The proposal also calls for the new high school’s gym and sports complex to be funded with private-sector money, with Grow Greene County Gaming Corp. funds as the potential primary source. Discussions have also taken place about private fundraising for a performing arts center for the new high school.

The proposal would replace the school facilities improvement plan for which a bond issue was rejected twice by the school district’s voters.

In general terms, the dollars envisioned in the former bond issue for a gym facility would transfer to the career academy building instead.

The current middle school would be available for development for other purposes, possibly as a residential apartment complex, something that has proved successful in other Iowa communities.

The proposal was developed by Deal, Jones, Doug McDermott and Dan Benitz. They did not estimate a dollar amount for the project, but said the magnitude of the cost would be in the same ballpark as the previous bond issue proposal.    

A basic question for the career academy, Deal and Jones explained, was whether other school districts in the area would consider sending students to take classes there on a half-day basis. Without that buy-in, the academy could not succeed.

Late last spring the group presented that question to Greene County Superintendent Tim Christensen. Christensen checked with nearby school districts, which all expressed their support if the curriculum were satisfactory. That would provide Iowa Central with the assurance it would need to secure needed staff and equipment.

Christensen also noted that the Iowa Department of Education is developing a requirement that all Iowa high schools add computer science to their curriculum.

The proposal began with Deal, who as a member of the Leadership Iowa organization had been visiting several Iowa communities to observe their efforts in several areas, including education.

Deal was impressed with Pella’s career academy, which works closely with that town’s industries such as Vermeer and Pella Corp. in developing the academy’s curriculum. Students who align their high school schedule with the career academy can also receive a two-year community college associate in arts degree when they graduate from high school.

Even if they take only a few career academy courses, they benefit from an advanced trajectory that can reduce their college costs and help them investigate various career options.

After the Iowa Central referendum on a career academy to be located at Lohrville failed, Deal and Jones took their idea to Benitz, former local high school industrial tech  instructor and Iowa Central adult ed coordinator, and McDermott, Greene County’s elected director on the Iowa Central board. They then talked with Iowa Central President Dan Kinney, who was enthusiastic about the proposal.

Career academies interact well with Iowa’s current emphasis on increasing the state’s trained workforce. Many employers have trouble finding people with the skills needed in today’s economy.

Jones added that the arrangement helps students keep their student debt at a minimum, a major benefit in today’s education market.

Deal also noted that a company he works with in software development is looking for an Iowa community with which to partner in software education. The company is intrigued by recent developments in Greene County and the possibility of a career academy here, Deal said, and the company could locate an office in Jefferson for a pipeline of employees.

The group urged that the plan should be community-driven, with lots of small group and one-on-one discussions to get input. No specific drawings or cost estimates should be made, they said, before such discussions take place throughout the communities within the Greene County school district.

Hiring an architect would enable the board to develop the plan as input from district patrons is received.

The group realizes that cost control of a bond referendum is important, and they continue to look to find alternative funding sources to increase the value of the project without increasing the cost to voters.

The new campus on Highway 30 would dovetail with a community sports complex that the Vision 2020 effort is contemplating near the same location.

Jones noted that the project fits perfectly into the Vision 2020 effort, which sees the school as its number one emphasis. He said it speaks to, “How do we wrap our arms around relevant community development?”

“Millennials want the living experience, not just a job,” Jones said. “We think we have the right components in advanced manufacturing, hospitality and service, ag technology, health care and computer science.”

But the curriculum, like the facility, will be community driven by the district’s patrons, he said.

Christensen envisions the school board coming up with an architect firm in November, assuming the board decides to explore the project. That firm would be part of the community discussions.

“The concept is here,” Christensen said. “Now we need to hear what people think about it.”