The decision about Central was based on multiple facilities studies, enrollment projections, program needs, and cost comparisons.
The district evaluated whether existing spaces could accommodate administration and early childhood programming without maintaining an elementary building for those purposes. The analysis found that incorporating administration and the Early Learning Center into other existing spaces would not provide adequate capacity, particularly given anticipated growth in early childhood programming.
Expanding existing buildings to accommodate those programs would have required approximately 6–8 additional classrooms and increased the overall project cost by approximately $10 million.
The proposed use of Central allows the district to continue using an existing district asset while avoiding that additional expansion. Placing the program in the "newest" wing of Central, allows us to operate with fewer improvements than would be required if an entire elementary program were to be housed there.