Stillwater school leaders are embroiled in yet another debate over how to make best use of the district’s educational spaces — this time at Stillwater Area High School.
It’s the latest example of discord in the Washington County district of more than 8,300 students, where some parents have spent more than a year fighting plans to close three elementary schools.
About 50 high school teachers signed a March 17 letter to the school board expressing frustration about construction that could leave some teachers without dedicated classrooms. They’re also worried some teacher planning areas will go unused and there won’t be adequate room for special-education instruction.
The high school renovations, expected to be completed this fall, are using roughly half of the $97.5 million capital levy approved by voters in 2015 for facilities improvement districtwide.
The theme of the letter was clear: “Teachers are not being heard,” one passage read.
“We find it increasingly challenging to remain diplomatic when we need to explain to stakeholders that after spending millions of their tax dollars, some teachers at the high school will not have their own classroom, an office to meet with students and parents, or a media center worthy of a progressive twenty-first century high school,” the letter concluded.
The letter has provoked a range of reactions from district leaders and residents, including an offhand remark by school board Chairman George Hoeppner that has some calling for his resignation.
School officials posted a “fact check” on the district website April 21 to try to dispel what they describe as rumors and confusion about the high school renovations. “The fact is our high school is not too small, and there will be space for students and teachers alike in the coming years,” the statement said.
Rob Bach, the high school’s principal, said in an interview Wednesday that he was surprised teachers turned to school board members to address their concerns. Administrators have been meeting with teachers’ department heads about the renovation since last fall, he said.
When completed, the renovated high school will operate more efficiently with fewer idle classrooms, Bach explained. Some teachers, most of whom are part time, will share classroom space.
Bach acknowledged the junior and senior classes will be large next school year, but he said the high school will be large enough to meet the district’s needs. He added that school leaders were working to clear up any misunderstandings among teachers.
“We’ve got a situation where most of our teachers will have a space to call their own,” Bach said.
Board members have raised concerns since receiving the letter that teachers do not feel their frustrations are being addressed by administrators.
“That is a huge problem for me,” new board member Sarah Stivland said during a March work session. “I don’t want our teachers to feel like they are not being heard or respected or that we don’t value their point of view.”
BOLD PLAN UNDER FIRE
Some residents have pointed to the latest dust-up as more evidence of poor school leadership. A large group of parents remains outraged that school leaders voted last year to close Withrow, Marine and Oak Park elementary schools despite their vocal objections.
The school closures are part of a districtwide “Building Opportunities to Learn and Discover,” or BOLD, plan that district leaders say is necessary to use limited resources more efficiently and equitably. They say a shift in student population is leaving schools in the northern half of the district underutilized and those in the southern half crowded.
The plan remains the subject of a persistent legal fight by parents hoping to stop the closures.
“Trust has been undeniably obliterated between the community and this board and the administration,” resident Kristie Mack told the board at a recent meeting. “You do not have the support of this community, but you keep blazing forward no matter what the cost.”
Later at the same meeting, Hoeppner, a longtime board member and former teacher, made a remark that didn’t sit well with some, given the raw nerves in the district.
“If there is a science teacher who is complaining about the way things are going in their wing, they ought to be cuffed upside the head. Those are fantastic spaces,” Hoeppner said while recalling past debates over high school space. “This is not a new issue.”
Hoeppner’s “cuffed upside the head” comment led to an online petition calling for his resignation; it has received nearly 200 signatures. It cites his recent remark and other complaints, some of which are related to the controversial school closures.
Hoeppner said in an interview Thursday that he meant no harm by his comment and did not intend to downplay teachers’ concerns. He added that he believed high school administrators and teachers would resolve the space issues.
“Anyone who knows me, knows what I meant,” Hoeppner said, noting his close relationship with district teachers and his past role as a union leader. “I think people are at a stage where they will jump on everything.”
Like many in the Stillwater school community, Hoeppner said he remains confident they can move beyond the recent controversies and unify the district. He admitted that it would likely take some time to accomplish.
Opponents of the elementary school closures have vowed not to give up the fight.
Last fall, they mounted a campaign to win control of the school board, but fell one seat short. Some are already talking of next year’s campaign, when four seats on the seven-member board will be up for election.