By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

The Geary USD 475 Board of Education talked this week with staff about the possibility next school year of moving the ninth graders who attend school at the Freshman Success Academy back to the Career Academy Campus where 10th through 12th graders attend classes.

BOE President Tom Brungardt said it would allow the district to get a jump on moving the freshmen back into the main ( high school ) building for the 2018-19 school year, “rather than waiting for a new building to open. ” No final decisions have been made by the Board, but the topic will be on their March 4th meeting agenda.

Brungardt explained staff feel there is enough room in the main building for the students, but he is concerned about having enough space for teachers. “The way I calculate it we have enough room for the students. We don’t have enough room for the teachers. The teachers would be sharing classrooms, there’d be roaming teachers. Have to find a place for teachers to settle sort of an office area for teachers.”

Several years ago the freshmen did attend classes at the main building, but due to high enrollment at the time the former city middle school building was converted into a facility to serve the freshman. There is less enrollment in the high school today. On moving them back now Brungardt said there is a list generated by the staff at the high school that contains both pros and cons. “Some of the reasons they want to do it now, is it opens up scheduling options for the freshmen that they don’t have when they’re in a separate building, having them all together is good to give the sense that you’re one high school, it reduces the cost of traveling. “He noted that right now the district is spending a lot of money busing students back and forth between the two buildings, and teachers travel back and forth between the building so there is a cost there as well.

When the new high school opens in 2021 the plan is to have all four classes housed in one facility.