Community Session 4 on Dec. 10th

Dear South Sioux City Community Stakeholders,

On Tuesday, December 10th, approximately 100 attendees—including community members, parents, and staff—gathered at the SSC Middle School Gym for the fourth Cardinal Vision Community Engagement Workshop.

The workshop opened with remarks from the Cardinal Vision Chairs, who emphasized the shared responsibility of addressing challenges and opportunities within the district. They outlined the purpose of Cardinal Vision: to study current issues, explore solutions collaboratively, and ultimately develop recommendations that serve our schools, community, and students. These recommendations will guide decisions on whether to move forward with a potential bond referendum.

Superintendent Dr. Rony Ortega welcomed attendees and provided a recap of the previous three workshops. He shared updated demographic projections, noting that the district expects to see approximately 150 more students in five years and 500 additional students within the next decade. With current enrollment at 3,755 students—already surpassing this year’s projections—Dr. Ortega highlighted the pressing challenge of overcrowding, as half of the district's schools are at or over capacity.

Dr. Ortega also discussed the aging infrastructure of SSC schools. Nationally, the average age of school buildings is 49 years, while 75% of SSC schools exceed that benchmark. Despite the diligent maintenance efforts of district staff, these aging facilities, with varying mechanical and electrical systems, present significant challenges. A 2023 facilities study categorized 64% of the district’s infrastructure needs as Immediate—requiring action within 0-3 years—while Critical needs must be addressed in the next 10 years. The district has not had a major capital improvement in 25 years, and ongoing operational budgets primarily support staffing, leaving limited funds for maintenance and repairs.

Next, Cardinal Vision Community Chairs Stacey and Rogelio shared feedback gathered during prior workshops. Key takeaways included:

• Capacity Concerns: Participants were surprised by the current and projected capacity issues. Two schools, Lewis & Clark Elementary and SSC Middle School, currently use classroom trailers.
• Safety & Security: None of the schools have secure vestibules.
• Modern Needs: Facilities need updates to support modern teaching practices and hands-on learning, ensuring graduates are prepared for college, trade schools, and the workforce.
• Traffic and Accessibility: Better traffic control, safety compliance, and accessible spaces were identified as priorities.
• Future-Ready Schools: Flexibility, integration of technology, and long-term solutions were prioritized over trendy or temporary fixes.

Feedback also showed strong support for addressing overcrowding by constructing a fifth/sixth-grade center, maintaining neighborhood schools, and ensuring solutions address future capacity. When considering the renovation versus replacement of buildings, participants favored replacement if long-term benefits justified the costs. Most workshop attendees supported a funding range of $80-$120 million for these improvements.

Participants at the October 29th workshop reviewed potential solutions for renovating or replacing buildings. A plurality supported building a fifth/sixth-grade center, moving sixth grade from middle school and fifth grade from elementary schools. This approach would address overcrowding while maintaining neighborhood schools.

To gather further input, the district offered school tours in November. Of the 84 attendees who completed surveys, 58% rated schools as D or F for safety, accessibility, learning environment, and infrastructure.

Dr. Ortega concluded by addressing future steps. He explained that after a potential bond referendum, the district would engage the community in reviewing attendance boundaries and transportation. He also noted difficult decisions ahead, such as determining the future of Covington Elementary, which cannot be rebuilt on its current site and may need to be relocated, merged, or retired. Potential new school sites include the growing Flatwater Crossing area, which has been zoned residential and is projected to fill within the next decade.

Certified Educational Planner Matt Erion guided attendees through building options for a potential bond package. Attendees participated in an interactive activity to design their preferred package by selecting a base plan and additional options.

Base Plans Overview:

1. Plan A ($88M): Includes a new fifth/sixth-grade center, a new Lewis & Clark Elementary, and a new EN Swett Preschool.
2. Plan B ($89M): Adds a middle school expansion and consolidates Lewis & Clark and Covington into a large elementary school at Flatwater Crossing.
3. Plan C ($109M): Proposes a new fifth/sixth-grade center, a large combined elementary school at Flatwater Crossing, and a new preschool.
4. Plan D ($123M): Features a new fifth-to-eighth-grade middle school, a new Lewis & Clark Elementary, and a new preschool.

Each plan addresses aging facilities and current capacity issues, significantly reducing the average school building age from 59 to 30 years, well below the national average.

Additional options were also discussed to address future capacity and improve learning environments. Enhancements like secure vestibules, classroom updates, and safety features were estimated at $11.9M. Infrastructure packages to address critical mechanical, electrical, and roofing needs were also presented, ensuring the district’s ability to manage long-term maintenance.

Attendees left the workshop understanding the weight of the decisions ahead and the importance of community feedback in shaping the future of SSC schools.

We invite you to attend a critical meeting on Tuesday, January 14, at 6:00 PM in the Middle School Gym. During this session, we aim to finalize a recommendation to present to the Board of Education.

Your voice matters! Your feedback will play a pivotal role in shaping our next steps and ensuring our plans align with the needs and priorities of our community.

We hope to see you there and look forward to your input.

Sincerely,

Lance Swanson

Director of Communications & Community Engagement