How does the district save money with Powell Junior High remaining open as a community learning center?
The district saves money in several ways. The number of junior high schools in the district is reduced from 13 to 12. This saves $1.2 million in salaries for administrators and office staff, as well as office supplies needed to operate Powell Junior High each year. The district continues to follow current class-size guidelines. Teachers and other staff members are needed at the receiving school(s). Therefore, these staff salaries and classroom supplies are not included in the $1.2 million savings. Several programs move to the Powell campus, including the Community Education Department, East Valley Academy, Crossroads, and McKellips Middle School students in grades 4-6. These existing programs do not add costs, because operating budgets are now in place. In fact, the programs may generate additional revenue, because the Powell campus offers space for growth over the current sites. Each of these four departments and programs not only currently operate on separate sites, but they also hav
