Ask Mr. (School) Answer Person: "How will the Decorah School Board pick the location for a new school building?"

School district officials want to replace John Cline School

What factors will the Decorah School Board consider when it comes to purchasing property for a new elementary school?

Ask Mr. (School) Answer Person says: "There have been lots of questions (and opinions!) about the location of a new elementary school, so Mr. (School) Answer Person contacted Decorah School Superintendent Mike Haluska so the public would know what criteria the Decorah School Board has been considering:

•    A facility that could hold at least 600 students, for Early Childhood Special Education through 3rd grade. Early childhood through 1st grade classes must be on the first floor, while 2nd and 3rd grades could be on a second floor.  So a six story building with a small footprint isn't going to cut it!
•    Six-section grade levels with flex space and room for potential growth, as well as a full size gym and cafeteria.
•    Green space/outdoor play space.  Ideally the space would be 8 acres or more for the school and accompanying green space, parking, etc.  For example, it is good to note that simply tearing down the current John Cline and building a new facility on that site, would not  provide adequate green space for the larger building that is needed.
•    Transportation/traffic flow.  The facility would ideally be located where several routes would exist to move both bus and car traffic away from the area.  Since the site will serve early childhood through Grade 3, there would be about seven buses dropping off/picking up at the site.  The number of cars dropping off and picking up students could easily reach into the hundreds per day. (Think about these issues related to the much discussed possible site near St. Ben's, with narrow, limited street access and hills).  It is important that the site chosen can allow vehicles to move safely around the youngest children. That also raises the question of student biking and walking routes.
•    Necessary infrastructure — electricity, natural gas, water, sewer, and fiber optics—accessible nearby. Some sites are much better than others without required major accommodations.
•    Economic issues. There is some suggestion that cities choosing to build "outside the city proper" took economic hits for their downtowns.

The Decorah Shareholders and the School Board have been examining in one way or another these issues since 2008. Yes, the School Board said the site downtown was not ideal, but the above factors weighed into that being their number one choice. The School Board has indicated they will be "going back to the drawing board" to develop a new matrix that helps them prioritize the criteria as they work toward Plan B.

It reminds Mr. (School) Answer Person of the Rolling Stones song: "You can't always get what you  want – but if you try, sometimes –  well, you might find, you get what you need."