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Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
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Do we own enough land for a new High School?
Do we own enough land for a new High School?
No. The only land the district currently owns are the school sites, 13 acres (13.2AC), Middletown Park (1.5AC), and the lot East of MIddletown Park (<.25AC), and the approximatley 55 acres south of MPE.
Why don't any scenarios include a pool?
Why don't any scenarios include a pool?
There are three major factors that affect the inclusion of a pool.
First and foremost, the inclusion of a pool has not been found to be a concensus request of our community based on identification of priorities related to future facility needs.
Second, the cost to construct an indoor pool (natatorium) with associated space is not only a larger first cost ($20MM - $30MM) but also a prolonged lifetime cost to condition, maintain, and manage for the lifetime of the facility.
Lastly, the idea of the school district providing a "community" pool is not possible. The district would need a cool, indoor pool for competiion. While the community (VOM) would want a warm, outdoor pool with play ameneties, etc. Even if there was a partnership with the village, the goals of a community pool do not align with those of a school district supported swimming facility.
How much acreage do we need for a school?
How much acreage do we need for a school?
Depending on the building size, and community needs these areas can vary not only by building type but school district needs related to traffic, outdoor facilities, etc.
For an elementary school, the base site is expected to be 5-10 acres + 1acre for every 100 students of population.
For a middle school the base site is expected to be 15-25 acres + 1 acre for every 100 students of population.
A high school is expected to have a base site no less than 20 acres up to 50 acres + 1 acre for every 100 students.
With these standards in mind, it must be considered the needs for future expansion and additional programming and functional support, especially at the high school. This may include services such as transportation, district administration offices, practice and competition fields, large event parking and even community use beyond the needs of the school district. One last factor to consider is the way a community treats transportation to/from school. Lots of car drop/pick up or students drivers, as well as the quantity of buses may require additional site to safely and efficiently support those traffic loads.
Is the Junior High (Middle School) and High School being in close proximity important?
Is the Junior High (Middle School) and High School being in close proximity important?
No, thre is not a need to share resources between these facilities. Currently we do not currently share resources between our facilities and as we look towards our future growth, we need to plan around each facility functioning independently to ensure proper access to resources, services and facilites for all students.
Why are none of the scenarios lookng at a new elementary school?
Why are none of the scenarios lookng at a new elementary school?
Based on community concensus the need for a new elementary facility has not been found to be a leading community need. It should also be noted that in order to implement an elementary alignment different than what is currently in place (PK-2, 3-5) we would need to do one of two things. First we could combine them into a single PK-5. One major drawback to that solution is a facility that would house roughly 1800 students. This is far beyond a manageable number of students, and would lead to a very challenging configuration. The other is to create a PK-1, 2-3, 4-5. The drawback here is that while the buildings are more manageable, students are now transitiioning between buildings every other year. Not only is this difficult for students, but it is a challenge for the educators as they are annually bringing 50% of the student population "up to speed" with that facility, how it works, where things are and creating a comfortable environment for those students. Per our presentation in CES #4, it is more ideal to aim for minimum 3 grade facilitie as long as that can support a manageable number of students (<1000). Outside of the functional difficiencies of these ideas, there is the fact that LTE is in far better shape than MSJH, and in some ways the HS. That facility is functioning well as an elementary school (while overloaded currently) but would not properly support JH or HS aged students with out MAJOR reconfigurations - most of which are limited or impossible due to its site.
If the village controlled (stopped/slowed) growth, would that conttol growth being experienced by M-S #3?
If the village controlled (stopped/slowed) growth, would that conttol growth being experienced by M-S #3?
No, the boundaries of the school district and those of the Village of Mahomet are the same. There is a portion of the distirct that is not under the control of the village. In order to limit or control growth into the district, there would need to be adjustments not only at the VOM level, but also at the township and even county level as those are the governing bodies of those unincorporated portions of the distirct.
Why is Middletown Prairie (MPE) out of room already?
Why is Middletown Prairie (MPE) out of room already?
Unlike the Bulldog Blueprint Community Engagment process, when MPE was designed and constructed, it was not planned relative to long term district growth, but rather built to support as many students as possible (retire Middletown and Sangamon) with NO TAX INCREASE for tax payers. Now, due to the initial goal of no tax increase, and the extreme growth we have continued to see, we are in need of additional capacity at this facility to support our PK-2 population.
What is the difference between a Middle School and a Junior High?
What is the difference between a Middle School and a Junior High?
The most basic difference is typically, but not always reflected by the grades served at each facility. A Middle School is typically 6-8 with a Junior High serving 7-8.
Besides grade levels service a Junior High is considered a "scaled down" version of a traditional High School schedule. It is often a 10 period day, teacher's are departmentalized for efficiency of operation, and the curriculum and efforts are subject oriented.
A middle school on the other hand is comprised of grade level teams each with representatives from the various curricular departments. There is direct daily collaboration amongst this cross curricular team and has a high student focus. This model allows for a more gradual transition from elementary school to High School.
Both models allow for students autonomy, and passage between curricular areas and classrooms. For a building, the middle school model (currently utilized at Mahomet Seymour Junior High) is organized around a student's day (grouping of grade level offerings) rather than the Junior High focused on departments organization.
While the group explored an addition to the existing MSJH in CES #3, why did they not explore building UP at that site?
While the group explored an addition to the existing MSJH in CES #3, why did they not explore building UP at that site?
This question is one that seems to have some history, and regardless of the source, we appreciate the opportunity to clarify.
Building UP on a facility, must be designed into the original facility, to ensure the structure is such that it can support the added construction above. Based on the exising documents that we have available, this buidling was constructed to be a single story facility.
Building UP on an existing facility, that was not specifically designed for this, is not a viable solution. This is the case at all of our existing buidlings. In order to build UP on a facility it requires that the entire existing structure be built to allow for that to occur. The structure to support a roof is less than what it requires to support a floor. To remedy this, would require additional beams/joists in the roof, as well as increasing the size of the columns and beams holding up that structure. If this were to occur, it would also require upsizing of the foundations, which would mean cutting through existing floors to install that system.
WIth this in mind, the construction of an expansion on top of the existing MSJH, would essentially require buidling a new structure in the existing building, and cost signifficantly more than building an addition.
How many students are in a building?
How many students are in a building?
As of October 1, 2021
Middletown Prairie (MPE): PK-2 with a total of 727 students
Lincoln Trail Elementary (LTE): 3-5 with a total of 755 students
Mahomet-Seymour Junior High (MSJH): 6-8 with a total of 769 students
Mahomet-Seymour High School (MSHS): 9-12 with a total of 1,034 students
Total District Enrollment: 3,285 Students
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