Accountability

District Responses

Every question we have asked, grouped by topic. When the district gives an official answer, we post it here word for word with its source and date. Questions without a posted answer are still waiting for one.

0 of 16 questions fully answered

Money and savings

What keeping Heritage open would actually cost, and what closing it would actually save.

1. Cost of keeping Heritage open
Awaiting response
Compared with the recommended plan, how much additional money would the district need annually to keep Heritage open? Please include changes in staffing, transportation, and costs at other schools.
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.
2. Itemized closure savings
Awaiting response
What is Heritage's contribution to the projected savings? Please separate recurring savings, one-time transition expenses, and costs that continue after closure.
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.
3. Fewer-closure alternatives
Awaiting response
What financially modeled alternatives would close fewer schools? What would each save, what shortfall would remain, and why was each rejected?
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.
4. Staffing savings
Awaiting response
Which positions will disappear through attrition, which will move, and when will savings occur? How does the calculation account for staff reassignment and filling existing vacancies?
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.
5. Temporary school use
Awaiting response
Which two buildings will accommodate Central and Northview during construction? How does continued operation affect savings in 2027-28 versus later years? The presentation identifies this temporary use but leaves the buildings undecided.
September 3 presentation, page 93 →
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.

The building and the site

The district lists condition, accessibility, and campus location as reasons for closure. We are asking for the assessments behind those reasons.

1. Repair evidence
Awaiting response
Which specific Heritage building deficiencies support closure? Please provide inspection dates, professional assessments, itemized repair estimates, and a distinction between urgent repairs and optional improvements.
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.
2. Accessibility
Awaiting response
What specific accessibility barriers and floor-plan limitations were identified? What corrective options were evaluated, and what would each cost?
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.
3. High school campus location
Awaiting response
What measurable problems does Heritage's campus location create? What incident records, traffic studies, operational costs, or site assessments support that concern, and what remedies were considered?
District explanation page →
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.
4. Property plans
Awaiting response
What broker work, appraisals, prospective-use discussions, or inquiries concern Heritage and Indian Trail? How much did anticipated property value influence school selection? The presentation says the district is securing a broker; that does not establish a buyer or sale agreement.
September 3 presentation, page 93 →
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.

Where students would go

Capacity, class sizes, and travel for Heritage students and for every school receiving them.

1. Combined receiving-school capacity
Awaiting response
Can the district publish scenarios showing where Heritage students could go while also accounting for students displaced by the other proposed closures? What would enrollment and usable classroom capacity be at each receiving school?
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.
2. Actual classroom projections
Awaiting response
For those scenarios, what are the projected students, teachers, and class sizes by grade and receiving school? What happens if enrollment exceeds the projections?
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.
3. Transportation consequences
Awaiting response
How many current Heritage walkers would need transportation? What are the estimated ride times, additional bus costs, walking hazards, and potential family transportation charges?
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.
4. Per-building functional capacity
Awaiting response
The district has published a combined functional capacity of 16,360 for the 28 remaining elementary schools, but not a figure for each building. Please publish the functional capacity, teaching-classroom count, and specialty-room deductions for Heritage, Brougham, Havencroft, and Madison Place.
September 3 presentation, capacity summary →
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.

Students who need extra support

Written commitments for the students least able to absorb disruption.

1. Individual student protections
Awaiting response
What transition process will support students with IEPs, 504 plans, autism, anxiety, or other needs? Who will coordinate services, visits, sensory supports, and continuity with familiar staff?
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.

Process and accountability

How the recommendation was reached, and what could change it.

1. Decision safeguards
Awaiting response
What evidence would cause the Board to retain Heritage or postpone its decision? If later boundary planning exposes unacceptable costs or student impacts, will the closure decision be reconsidered?
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.
2. Survey interpretation
Awaiting response
How did Heritage's position change between the earlier poll and final ranking? What new evidence influenced that change, and was the weighting method established before responses were collected?
No official response posted yet. We will publish the district’s answer here as soon as we receive one in writing or on the record.

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