Sue Sitter/PCT Rugby Public Schools Superintendent Mike McNeff explains to community members how a project to expand the Ely Elementary School campus would be financed.

Parents, school staff and community members met at Ely Elementary School Nov. 3 to discuss a Dec. 1 special election to decide on a proposal to expand the campus.

Attendees heard from Ely and the Rugby school district staff. Representatives from JLG Construction, Bismarck and Brian Berg of Zerr-Berg Architects also attended the meeting.

The public discussion was the second of a series of three scheduled before the Dec. 1 referendum.

School Superintendent Mike McNeff spoke first to the group of about fifty assembled in the school’s small, windowless gym.

McNeff shared results from a scientific survey conducted by research firm School Perceptions that indicated 68 percent of residents in the area served would approve of proposed expansion on the Ely campus if the project meant no increase on the district’s present mill levy.

McNeff said funds made available through the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Act (ESSER) could combine with funds made available by extending a current mill levy approved for construction on the Rugby High campus about ten years ago. About $1.3 million from a $1.8 million ESSER relief package to address the impact of COVID-19 on the district could be used for the expansion, according to McNeff. The other $7.8 million for the $9.1 million project would come from extending the mill levy for a period of approximately 15 years.

McNeff said the remaining $500,000 in ESSER funds would be used in other ways to address learning loss due to school closures from COVID-19.

The survey results combined with the availability of federal funds spurred the school board to vote to issue a bond referendum.

McNeff added the project had nothing to do with another construction project in town on a new hospital, which would likely take place the same time as the school construction. “We’re funded differently,” he explained.

The expansion project had three areas of focus, according to McNeff.

“One deals with safety and security; classroom learning environments, then finally, support spaces,” McNeff said.

The new campus design adds about 17,000 square feet to the school building, creating space for general and special education, a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) lab and music classes. The design also creates a larger space for students to eat lunch.

McNeff said more classroom space was one component of helping children reach grade-level proficiency in literacy and math.

“By third grade, if they’re not at grade level, if they’re not at grade level, that puts them pretty far behind in life in general,” McNeff said of elementary school students. “That’s a pretty crucial component of what we’re trying to do in the district and we’re doing a pretty good job of it.”

Outside of the building, a proposed driveway and parking lot area would separate bus from car traffic for student drop-offs and pickups. The area includes several new parking spaces.

As residents discussed the parking area, McNeff said the school could apply for a variance from the City of Rugby to reduce the number. However, he said even a smaller parking lot would take parked cars belonging to school staff off the streets.

Teachers and community members took turns expressing their opinions on the project.

Traffic concerns

Margaret Stadum, a retired Ely teacher who lives on Second Street, said she was concerned with the impact of traffic from the Ely parking lot onto the street in her neighborhood. “Has anybody bothered to evaluate the number of vehicles that go past there every single day?” Stadum asked. “And we’re not talking just cars and trucks, we’re talking about large transport (vehicles) that are as long as many properties along that street.”

Stadum said the increased number of cars going in several directions from the parking lot would pose a problem on Second Street. “You’re going to need someone with authority out there to keep things from stacking up,” Stadum said of the potential problem.

Stadum also pointed out she had seen parents drive through stop signs and violate other traffic laws when picking up their children.

Parent Brad Wangler noted the problem already exists on Third Street.

Karisa Maus, who works as a crossing guard and special education paraprofessional at the school, recounted several near-accidents on Third Street Southwest caused by children running between double-parked cars and drivers not paying attention to bus traffic. Maus said, “I’m pretty excited about the new bus pickup area.”

Special needs

Kim Williams, a second-grade teacher at Ely said, “I’ve been in a second grade classroom for 15 years and space definitely in my opinion a hindrance to our learning. The average elementary classroom is 900 square feet. Ours is a little over 600 square feet so, there is quite a bit of a difference from an average classroom.”

Williams said of her predecessors, who dealt with classes of 30 students, “I don’t know how they did it, but teachers are really good at overcoming challenges and taking what they have and making the most of it. That’s what we’re doing now.”

Williams said movement and space to move were very important for young elementary students.

More space would give children room to develop socially and provide areas for any special help they would need, according to Williams.

Dana Thoreson, a special education teacher who provides speech services to students, said space played a crucial role in educating children with special needs.

“We don’t know why the trend goes (more toward special education services),” Thoreson noted. “There’s a bigger focus on mental health. Worldwide, even as adults, we have a hard time coping with things and understanding what’s going on around us. And if it’s hard as adults to understand what’s going on around us, little kids trying to understand what’s going on around them (is even more difficult).”

Thoreson added, “All I know is we need to help them and give them opportunities to learn. Those small groups help to work on those things.”

“There’s no perfect plan, but we have to start somewhere,” Thoreson said. “Space is one of those main issues and having the space to do some of these small groups and split the reading groups for students who need social and emotional support is as important as having the staff as well.”

Pierce County farmer R Jay Paul asked if the district could change the parking lot design to aid snow removal and improve traffic flow. He also asked if it would be possible to add a turn lane near the parking lot exit on Second Street.

Paul shared his own memories from his days at Ely as a child. He said he remembered when school administrators decided to replace grass on the school grounds with a blacktop to cut down on the number of students bringing mud and dirt into the school. “You must have a problem with kids bringing in bark in from the playground now,” he said.

“They’re bringing in little tiny rocks,” Ely Principal Jason Gullickson said, smiling.

Paul also asked about how underground infrastructure would be handled, however, Berg said the plan included underground utilities.

Paul said the number of special education students at Ely concerned him.

McNeff and special ed staff explained that Ely’s special education caseload also includes students from Little Flower Catholic School and other areas.

“I see an issue there. I don’t know what the answer is, but I see a problem. We didn’t have that problem when I was in school,” Paul said of the need for special services.

Teachers said the numbers of students needing help have also increased because educators have improved their ability to recognize special needs over the years. Thoreson explained sometimes specialists come into regular classrooms to keep students with special needs together with their peers rather than pulling them out of the classroom.

Kudos from a neighbor

Dale Niewoehner, a neighbor to Ely Elementary School for many years, praised the school for providing academics and special services. “Schools are for to train and educate the leaders of tomorrow,” he said. “We start them off in this place, send them off to high school with an education that hopefully, they’ll continue in their life in a proper manner.”

Niewoehner said he has watched Gullickson watch over the pupils at noon on the playground. He recalled talking through the playground fence with Gullickson one day “and two or three students came up to Jason and hugged him on his legs in love and appreciation for his role in the school. That’s really something because most of the time, students will stay away from the principal as far as possible.

“What we’re talking about really is education. Where we’re going to park our cars can be worked on. I see stupid drivers every day,” Niewoehner noted. But the focus of this project is education. That’s what we need to strive for,” he added.

Ely Elementary School will open for public tours Nov. 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. To sign up for a tour, call 776-5757.

The school will host their third and final public meeting Nov. 17 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Absentee ballot applications are available in the Ely Elementary and Rugby High School offices. Ballots can also be downloaded at https://www.rugby.k12.nd.us/Page/2198.

Applicants should check off the “school election” and “special election” boxes on the application, provide their names, addresses, ID numbers, dates of birth and sign the applications. The forms can be mailed in, faxed or dropped off at the Rugby High School drop box. Absentee ballots must be received in person by Nov. 30, or if mailed, postmarked by Nov. 30. For questions, call Dawn Hauck at Rugby High School at 776-5201.

In-person voting will take place Dec. 1 at Rugby High School from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.