Growth committee sees school overcrowding as imminent

MADISON – Madison Schools Growth Impact Committee has released a revised interim report as the group continues to research the complicated issue of city population growth versus preserving high caliber of Madison City Schools.

Committee co-chairs Dr. Terri Johnson and Mike Potter briefed Madison City Council about the committee’s latest findings on Dec. 18. In summary, the new report contains updated student populations and improved case definitions.

The committee’s study is using three case scenarios, with Case 2 as the most likely scenario:

* Case 1 — Existing, approved development with no additional annexations for residential and no new subdivisions.

* Case 2 — Uses points in Case 1 but allows additional subdivision developments for properties already in the city. Development is based on the city’s West Side Master Plan.

* Case 3 — Uses points in Case 1 and West Side Master Plan. Madison annexes more lands to extent of vision map with West Side Master Plan.

The committee dealt with ‘architectural capacity,’ as opposed to ‘functional capacity.’ Functional capacity is the absolute maximum student population that a building can accommodate, which exceeds architectural capacity, which is the intended population for a building’s design.

“Our school system has an unbelievable effect on the price of homes. Having a good school system drives home values (up). When you look at the real estate market, two-thirds of sales in the market were existing homes — not the new homes in town,” Potter said.

“We know the system is going to break in 2022 — and no doubt will break in 2024 (due to overcrowding),” Potter said. “We have to have new facilities. The question is, ‘How?'”

That question hopefully will be answered in January 2018 when MCS Superintendent Robby Parker and Madison Board of Education will release a recommendation on ways that the district can handle needed classroom space as part of the 10-Year Strategic Master Plan.

The committee reached these conclusions for Step 1:

* Even with Case 1 scenario (growth the city has approved), MCS will exceed capacity in middle schools by 2025 and all schools before 2040.

* MCS cannot finance a new construction bond before 2029, due to current debt of approximately $165 million).

* Excellent schools enhance economic development in Madison and the Tennessee Valley.

* City and school leaders need to explain fully the advantages and challenges of growth to all residents.

Along with Johnson and Potter, committee members are Steve Haraway, David Hergenroeder, Alice Lessmann, Larry Miles, Valerie Miles, Shaquinta Morgan, Bebe Oetjen, Dr. Sandy Patel, Steve Ryder, Greg Shaw, Dr. Sheila Nash-Stevenson and Al Sullivan.

For more information, visit www.madisonal.gov/schoolgrowth.