Otsego E-8, crowding fuel changes

by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
The sole act of building the new voter-approved E-8 building is expected to resolve many overcapacity problems in the district’s southern area, according to Cory Franson, the school district’s director of community engagement.
A large focus of the committee, many of whom are parents of students in the school district, was to ensure that students were able to finish out their tenure at their current school without having to transfer to a new building just as they’re getting comfortable in their new surroundings, Franson said.
The options, as proposed by the committee, for the southern area include:
•Option A: This option would relieve Rogers Middle School by moving all Otsego attendance area into the upcoming E-8 school over a two-year transition. Rogers Middle School is currently 18 percent over capacity. In its first year the new school would open as an E-7 school with all eighth-grade students at Rogers Middle School. In its second year, the school would become an E-8 building.
Perceived strengths of Option A include enrollment relief to Rogers Middle School and Otsego and Rogers Elementary School. Plus, current seventh-grade students would not need to change their middle school building. Like all proposed solutions, this option is not without its drawbacks; under Option A the E-8 building could open at or above building capacity, would require additional bussing for a year and Hassan Elementary would remain slightly over capacity.
•Option B: This option would also relieve Rogers Middle School, but by moving the Otsego attendance area into the E-8 school over a three-year transition. In its first year, the school would open at E-6, with seventh- and eighth-graders at Rogers Middle School. The building would shift to an E-7 school in its second year and open at an E-8 school in its third year.
This choice would provide enrollment relief to Rogers Middle School and would place Otsego and Rogers Elementary School under capacity. Further, sixth- and seventh-grade students would not need to change their middle school building. However, under Option B, additional busing would be needed for two years, Rogers Middle School would remain over capacity in its first year and Hassan Elementary School would again remain slightly over capacity.