Master Planning Session Five (3.9.23)
At the fifth Facility Committee for Canfield Local Schools, committee members reviewed in depth the 3 master plans they identified at the end of session 4. The whole session was devoted to talking through the pros and cons of each plan, while talking through the site considerations for each.
Of the original 8 master plans, the preferred options were:
185 Votes - Master Plan #2
72 Votes - Master Plan #1
64 Votes - Master Plan #7
During the session, while talking through master plan options, committee members used their phones to vote on their preference of site for each plan. It was clear from this exercise that site preference differed from configuration to configuration.
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For those who favored a new Prek-8, the group was roughly divided in half and want to further explore the sites at Shields Road and Hilltop.
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For those who favored a new 5-8 school, they would like to further explore constructing the building to the west of the existing Canfield Village Middle School.
The session ended by briefly reviewing information on locally funded initiatives. This covered what was included in each base master plan and other options that could be added on. The committee will further discuss what they feel will be important to add to any new schools in the next session.
Review the full presentation: Facility Committee Meeting 5_03092023.pdf
Master Planning Session Four (3.2.23)
During the fourth Facility Committee for Canfield Local Schools, members met to review the 8 master plans that the committee developed and began to make decisions on which they felt were the best candidates to pursue.
New information was presented on the district's enrollment projections and budgetary cost adjustments for construction projects in Ohio for the upcoming year. Additionally, more questions continue to be gathered from committee and community members. These are being addressed during the committee meetings and on a FAQ on the Facility Project page.
The majority of the session was devoted to working in small groups, with teams of 5-6 reviewing each plan, and determining the 2-3 plans they felt most strongly about. The group then presented to the larger group any pros and cons of their selected plans.
This feedback and conversation provided context for all members on the broad interest patterns in the larger group.
After each of the presentations, each member had the opportunity to vote on their individually preferred plans. Each person was provided 3 markers, a red, blue and green sticker to vote with. Red dots were worth five points, blue dots were three and green dots were one point. Members could then allocate these three dots across each (or all) of the master plan options.
This exercise provides insight into the plans that the committee is most interested in further exploring in terms of site, cost and phasing.
View the report out boards and final master plan voting board: Master Plan Session 4 - Report Out Boards.pdf
Among group discussions as well as individuals, master plans, 1, 2 and 7 were clearly identified as the most popular options, with the majority of committee members preferring Master Plan 2.
Master Plan 1
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A new 5-8 Middle School
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A new PK-4 Elementary School
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Potentially converting Hilltop to a special needs school or using for administration space
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Abate and Demolish CH Campbell and CVMS
Master Plan 2
Master Plan 7
In upcoming meetings, these three options will continue to be vetted, by marrying them to sites, looking at locally funded initiatives (LFI's) and understanding any potential project phasing.
Review the presentation: https://thendesign-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/p/rcaswell/EfxawjE-KXBMvGhMXHyfiVIB0gP5LGkAhyCXc1aSBPdinA?e=R6SMAi
Master Planning Session Three (2.23.23)
The Facility Committee met a third time to continue exploring master plan options to address the facility needs for Canfield Local Schools. This session focused on answering questions, exploring potential site options not currently owned by the school district, and reviewing a series of "site fit tests" for various school configurations on district properties.
The master planning process is designed to progressively explore the many facility configurations, costs, sites and options that can satisfy the needs of a school district. By including a variety of voices, the district can best satisfy the needs of the community and students through an inclusive planning process.
To begin, Superintendent Joe Knoll answered a variety of questions from committee members that have come up during the process. Many of these questions are being captured on the district's website for interested community members. An FAQ page from the committee is under construction and will be updated on the website shortly.
For those in the community with questions, please click here or email JKnoll@canfieldschools.net. We will incorporate them into future sessions.
Overall shot of Canfield with Identified Alternate Sites
Architects Reviewing the Site Fit Test
Site Fit Options
Afterwards, the superintendent led the committee through alternate site options for potential facilities that the district doesn't own. While there initially appeared to be many options, several aren't feasible due to a variety of reasons, further study will continue to be done on this topic.
The remainder of the session involved architects from ThenDesign Architecture walking the group through various "site fit tests" on each of the district owned properties. A "site fit test" is a process where designers develop the square footage size of a proposed school, lay it out on a particular site, add parking arrangements, building height and consider general site context to better gauge how a building solution could work on a site. Often several of these studies are done throughout the process to study a range of building scenarios.
While the committee is still exploring options for site and layout, many were interested in better understanding how the current middle school site could be used as well as the district owned property on Shields road.
The next steps for the committee include further exploration of refined project costs into the various master plan options and site preferences proposed by committee members. This will include considering swing space during construction and the overall timeline for the potential project.
With this information, the committee will then begin narrowing down master plan options and focusing on what they feel are their strongest options.
Master Planning Session Two (2.7.23)
Canfield Local Schools held their second facilities master planning session on February 7th at the high school media center. With over 50 in attendance, this session focused on exploring the details of district-owned sites, then dividing into small groups to conduct a master planning exercise where community members developed their own plans that addressed the school's long term facility's needs.
While there were many differences between the plans, the majority prioritized replacing the middle school. When each group reported their plans, they took into account the recommended acreage for their solutions, according to the district’s available land.
The school district currently owns 5 sites, 4 of which are in the City of Canfield, and 1 that is located in the township. 4 sites already have existing schools, but provide opportunities and challenges.
1. Canfield High School
2. C.H. Campbell
3. Hilltop Elementary School
4. Canfield Village Middle School
5. Shields Road Property (Township)
ACREAGE RECOMMENDATIONS
After reviewing the sites, committee members broke into small groups and discussed the factors which impacted the plans they proposed. These factors included total project cost, building and grade arrangement, site preference and overall construction priority.
To view the solutions presented which will be explored and validated in future meetings, review the presentation below:
SLIDESHOW OF MASTER PLANS WHICH WERE REPORTED OUT
In future sessions, each of these solutions will continue to be vetted and discussed as the project continues. Additional considerations will be to better understand the impacts of phasing, construction timelines, traffic patterns and site layout.
Master Planning Session One (1.31.23)
On January 31st, Canfield Local Schools officially kicked off the master planning facility committee in the High School Media Center. Attended by a cross section of over 50 community members, the committee included current and past educators, business leaders, interested citizens and parents. The committee's goal is to review existing building conditions and improvement costs, evaluate site viability, educational adequacy and new construction cost models which drive the creation of district-wide master plan options. This work ultimately results in a master plan recommendation to the Canfield Board of Education.
This first session acted as an introduction to the planning process and centered on reviewing general information about the district, its facilities, an overview of the recent educational visioning session and ideas for master plan options that were developed there.
Future sessions are scheduled to run through April and the committee will be covering the following topics:
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Evaluate site information on district owned properties and any other potential options
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Discuss locally funded initiatives for the plan
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Review the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission funding considerations
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Review the educational opportunities between renovated and new school examples
The group revisited master plan options that were discussed in the recent Educational Visioning session. While the group continues to generate questions on specifics of the plans, many were interested in further exploring the potential construction of a PreK-4 and new middle school. This is driven by the aging infrastructure in these buildings.
During a feedback activity, when asked what attendees hoped to achieve from the planning process, many of their ideas overlapped. However, two major ideas surfaced:
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A transparent planning process that could unite the community and fulfill the needs of the school district.
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A cost effective solution, that provides a healthy, safe and modern environment for future students.
Similarly, the committee indicated they were most interested in addressing the following topics:
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Examining potential site options
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Continuing to explore the costs between each plan, and better understand the maintenance costs associated with them
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Exploring different building configurations and consolidation plans to better serve the district
Educational Visioning Session (1.23.23)
On January 23rd, members of the Canfield community, educators, local government, parents, and students gathered to attend an Educational Visioning Session hosted by ThenDesign Architecture. This all-day session focused on examining current facilities, developing a vision for the district and brainstorming master plans that address the aging facilities in the district.
Superintendent Joe Knoll commented, "Today, the goal was to build momentum on the discussion around facilities. We want to start talking with people about what the Canfield community will support in terms of a master plan to provide for students in the decades ahead."
With over 65 in attendance, everyone had a say in activities. The session was centered around 4 main topics. These included current facility conditions, educational adequacy, communication, and master planning.
First, attendees learned about the conditions of each school building from the educators and principals working in the district. This was followed by a discussion led by Claire Bank, an educational designer at TDA, on how modern educational environments positively impact students' experience. Second, attendees discussed their biggest priorities for the project. These "Guiding Principles" would be referenced throughout the master planning process. Next, each group brainstormed the various ways that the district and facility committee could most effectively reach their community with this information. Finally, they brought it all together and each group set to work developing their own facilities master plan for Canfield Local Schools. This included analyzing cost data, new construction vs. renovation, enrollment numbers and grade configurations in their proposed schools.
"What we are doing is bringing together a cross-section of our community, and those deeply invested in the school district, put our minds together, and develop ideas to address the aging infrastructure in the district," commented Nader Atway, a school board member.
Many conversations revolved around what to do with the 100-year-old Canfield Middle School and where this facility solution could be located. As the master planning process continues, the information developed from this session will inform future explorations.
Mr. Knoll is excited to develop facility plans, "We are preparing our students for jobs that don’t even exist yet. Providing a good educational experience for students is what it's all about."
He continues, "While facilities are only a piece of that puzzle, they play a big role. It's not the 1950s anymore, straight rows of desks and lectures all day aren’t effective to teach in the modern world. We see where the world is going and its collaborative. Students need the spaces for that."
For many of the existing buildings in Canfield, their support systems have reached the end of their lives and replacing them is costly. This also drives many of the decisions.
For Nader Atway, the project is personal. "Education is important because it sets up our children for future success. It is a "pay it forward" mentality. When we invest in the community and our kids, many people stay in our community, or come back years later to work and raise their families. It is part of our legacy."
The district is most interested in gathering feedback from the community, exploring facility options, and moving the project forward.
"We need to recognize that our schools are the hub of our community, they make a huge impact on the experience that people have living here."
The facility committee will meet regularly over the next several months to further develop and explore aspects of a facilities masterplan. Their work will culminate in a master plan recommendation to the board of education for a potential ballot issue.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SUMMARY SLIDES
Community Facility Tours
In late September 2022, the district launched an in-depth master planning process, and encouraged the community to participate in the process, examining current facilities and attending master planning sessions to develop the best facilities plan for Canfield Local Schools.
This process, which was largely based on feedback from the community, has made significant progress. Last year, the district completed a series of open house tours of all facilities, examining them in detail. Now in the new year, we are beginning the master planning process.
Last October, community members, city officials, district staff, news media and educators toured Hilltop Elementary and C.H. Campbell Elementary, in November the group toured Canfield Village Middle School, and the High School in December. At each meeting, presentations were given by design and construction professionals that identified the strengths and weaknesses of the buildings, highlighted needed repairs and estimated costs for potential solutions. A “questions and answers” session followed, with those in attendance clarifying questions about school finance, building conditions and space usage. Full building tours were given by school principals, teachers, and maintenance staff.
For many in attendance, it was the first time they had seen Canfield’s buildings since they attended them decades ago.
For those looking to better understand each of the facilities, the presentations, building assessment materials and cost sets for each of the buildings are available on this website.
These tours helped inform the community on how aging facilities pose financial, educational and safety and security challenges to a district. They serve as a foundation for master planning discussions.
Key Presentations
· View the Hilltop Elementary School Building Condition Review from 10/19/22
· View the C.H. Campbell School Building Condition Review from 10/26/22
· View the Canfield Village Middle School Condition Review from 11/16/22
· View the Canfield High School Building Condition Review from 12/7/22
Looking Forward
With a better understanding of the facility needs in the district, the master planning process can begin in earnest.
It kicks off on January 23rd, with an Educational Visioning Session. This daylong event brings together project stakeholders that includes district staff, community members, teachers, students, and business leaders and is designed to examine the various components of the project and set priorities.
Subsequent meetings will be held throughout February, March and April as the facility committee explores costs, educational adequacy studies, site plans, building arrangements and construction schedules. Their work ultimately culminates in a recommended master plan to the Board of Education that satisfies the educational and facility needs of Canfield Local Schools.
As a district, we are committed to transparency and providing informational materials to our community during this process. Findings from our Visioning Session and summaries of the master planning meetings will be accessible online at the district website. We welcome questions regarding these developing conversations. Feel free to send any questions you may have to Superintendent Knoll at jknoll@canfieldschools.net.
Providing students with an enriching educational environment, rigorous curricular programs, real-world opportunities, and passionate dedicated teachers is a recipe for success. Those, coupled with a supportive community means that we can provide the very best for our students and ensure that “Every Cardinal Counts.”
