Editorial : NLCS Middle School Consolidation - Will construction of new middle school be needed

EDITORIAL - MARCH 23, 2023 - The new North Lawrence Community School board now finds itself in the situation were the previous school board found themselves in 2019.

Photo: With the life expectancy of the Bedford Middle School has the time come for the planning of a new middle school? - Where would a new middle school be located?

In the coming weeks and months hard financial decisions will have to be made by the newest NLCS school board members' who ran on the pretense of consolidation was a bad idea.

The unexpected turn of events where two additional middle schools being formed following the January 2020 decision to close Shawswick Middle School has become a factor.

Two charter schools who offer middle school or junior high school offerings have now entered into the equation; that the pre-selected Visionary Committee did not come to expect nor the school corporation itself.

The newest board members have many more questions and facility information that will now have to be considered to move the corporation in the future.

Photo : Has the time come to close the middle school at Oolitic? Has the time come to move Needmore Elementary School students into the Oolitic Campus?

If North Lawrence Community School decides to close Oolitic Middle School, is there plenty of space to move Needmore Elementary students into the Oolitic Campus?

The aging Bedford Middle School campus will force the NLCS to construct a new and modern facility to accommodate a large number of students and provide classroom space for the future. The BMS has reached its life expectancy.

In addition, is it time to build a new elementary school that will accommodate all the elementary school students into one location?

How has the transportation of students been effected by the changes of NLCS in its consolidation?

In the end, NLCS district is back to the place it was in January. 2020, now is the time for a long-term plan to get the corporation right sized for both students and taxpayers.

On Tuesday, the public will meet to discuss the NLCS situation at the Masonic Lodge located at 35 Hooiser Avenue at 6:00 pm

On Thursday a work session of NLCS school board members may provide a glimpse into the thinking of the new NLCS school board.

Work sessions are only observed by the public, and the public normally does not have the right to be heard in these types of meetings, unless the school board allows public participants.

However, most likely this meeting is only in observation by the public with begins at 5:00 pm at the school administration building located in the 402 W Street.

Note: This is only a editorial and does not reflect any proposals by the NLCS School board.

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