Norwalk CSD Grade Level Configuration School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC) Subcommittee Announces Meeting Schedule
The NCSD Grade Level Configuration SIAC Subcommittee has been formed to research enrollment trends, building capacities, and grade level configurations best practices in order to make a recommendation to the NCSD Board of Directors regarding future building projects and district grade level configurations.   The subcommittee meetings are open to the public.  These meetings will be meetings in front of the public, which means the subcommittee members and district leaders will not be seeking feedback from meeting attendees unless otherwise noted on the agenda.
The subcommittee’s first meeting during the 2021-2022 school year will be on Wednesday, September 8 at 6:00 pm at the District Office (380 Wright Road, Norwalk).  Below is the meeting agenda:
  1. Call Subcommittee to Order

  2. Introductions

  3. Review Goal for this Subcommittee (Begin with the End in Mind)

    1. Make a formal recommendation to the NCSD Board of Directors regarding future grade level configurations for NCSD buildings no later than June of 2022

  4. What grade level configurations should be considered? (Begin with the End in Mind)

    1. Heartland AEA Grade Level Configurations

  5. Review of Resources (Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood)

    1. Shared Google Drive

    2. Demographer Study (Updated)

    3. Research – Provided by Diane Schnelker, AEA Consultant

      1. Hanover – EARLY GRADES RECONFIGURATION ANALYSIS

      2. Hanover – Review of Grade Level Configurations

    4. MASTER PLANNING FACILITY PROJECTS 2030 UPDATED 10-18-19

  6. Kate Baldwin, NCSD Executive Director of Administrative Services (Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood)

    1. Master Facility Plan

    2. Building Capacities and

    3. Debt Capacity

    4. What are the anticipated costs to convert elementary buildings to accommodate different grade levels?

  7. Survey(s)? (Be Proactive)

  8. Adjournment

The subcommittee tentative future meeting schedule is below:
Date Location Time
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 District Office 6:00 PM
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 District Office 6:00 PM
Wednesday, November 10, 2021 District Office 6:00 PM
Wednesday, December 8, 2021 District Office 6:00 PM
Wednesday, January 12, 2022 District Office 6:00 PM
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 District Office 6:00 PM
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 District Office 6:00 PM
Wednesday, April 13, 2022 District Office 6:00 PM
Wednesday, May 11, 2022 District Office 6:00 PM
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 District Office 6:00 PM
Members of the subcommittee include:
(Parent members were selected to represent families who have students across all buildings)
First Name Last Name Position
Suzanne VandeKamp Parent
Stephanie Oppel Parent
Sara Cross Parent
Hank Norem Parent
Brian Rausch Parent & NCSD Board Director
Christi Donald Parent
Amy Gage Oviatt Principal
Kate Baldwin Executive Director of Administrative Services
Jody Ratigan Director of Secondary Education & Interim Director of Human Resources
Sheila Taylor Orchard Hills Principal
Jill Anderson Lakewood Principal
Dawn Schiro Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
Chris Basinger High School Principal
Beth Ward Middle School Principal
D.T. Magee Superintendent