Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Last update: 4-25-2016
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Topic: Possibly closure of Saxvik as an elementary school and repurposing the building for another use:
If a question is highlighted in yellow, it means new information has been added since the last update!
Saxvik Info:
Age of school (1952)
Avg. age of BPS schools
School capacity
Projected student enrollment
Current student enrollment
# who live in attendance area
# who live out of attendance area
Student turnover/mobility
# of staff
64 years old (U.S. average age to abandon a school is 60 years)
42 years (U.S. average is also 42 years)
313
196 (2016-17)
221 (as of the end of 3rd 9 weeks, 3-27-16)
178
39 (26 transfers, 4 open enrolled, and 9 at Saxvik for one year only)
30% (highest in BPS compared with Moses at 23% & Myhre at 19%)
47 total full time & part time staff; 12 are classroom teachers
1. I thought the school district was growing, so why are you closing a school?
Due to enrollment growth in Bismarck, the School Board has to decide where to invest limited capital
dollars. The Board asked a Facility Planning Committee of 75 school and community members to study
the issues of growth at our middle schools, high schools, and elementary schools. Committee members
also expressed a deep concern with equity among schools. They compiled a list of criteria that may be
used to consider closing or repurposing a school.
The Board then directed Bismarck Public School (BPS) administration to determine if any elementary
school (1) met the criteria, (2) had declining enrollment, and (3) required a large investment of money
to make the building equitable. Saxvik met this criteria.
Also on the elementary level, we have five schools that will be over capacity in the next four years:
Highland Acres, Liberty, Lincoln, Solheim and Sunrise. Most of those schools are in growing parts of the
city, while we have other elementary schools that under capacity and could serve more students. In
addition, all three middle schools are over capacity and BHS-CHS need some remodeling.
2. Why did this decision come so quickly, at the end of a school year, for changes in the fall?
Our consultant, Rob Schwarz with RSP Associates, studied our enrollment, capacity and demographic
data and informed the board on March 31 that BPS should begin looking at elementary schools due to
the inequity among the 17 elementary schools and the fact that some are in areas of the city that are
growing, some are in areas of the community that are declining in population, and others are stable.
We also realized that we could move Saxvik staff into other positions that will be available next year.
3. How does the consultant make his predictions on school growth and how much do you pay him?
RSP Associates specializes in school demographic trends. Schwarz and his team look at birth rates,
number of women of child bearing age living in the area, current enrollment, census data, etc. They
also talk with realtors, developers, local planning officials, home density, land use, and other growth
planning tools. His accuracy rate, particularly with elementary school projections, is 99.8%. We paid
him $20,000 plus reimbursable items/expenses.
4. How many schools did you look at before deciding on Saxvik; is Saxvik the oldest school?
Using criteria developed by the 75 community members on the Facilities Planning Committee,
elementary principals met to apply those criteria to all 17 public elementary schools. A handful of older
schools were discussed, and it was felt that Saxvik met the most criteria for repurposing/closure. WillMoore is the oldest school in our district (66 years) but it has a good foundation and has been
remodeled over the years. Part of Saxvik has a dirt crawl space beneath it.
5. What were those criteria?
ADA/handicapped compliant (Saxvik has 3 levels and no elevator)
Adequate parking (Saxvik only has 6 parking spots; street parking is mainly used by staff/parents)
Adequate green space & playground (Saxvik uses nearby Parks/Rec area for playground & green space)
 Cost to renovate vs. build new; condition of the school ($2.5 million estimated cost to renovate)
 Need for infrastructure for today’s technology
 # of children at the school & population projections (313 capacity; 221 students now; 196 next year)
 Traffic flow and safety concerns
 Room for students at nearby schools; in same feeder, if possible; school choice (yes; 4 schools nearby)
 Cost to bus students to other school(s), proximity for bused students/minutes on the bus
 Well-suited as a location for an elementary school (Saxvik needs playground, green space, parking, etc.)
 Parent, staff, neighborhood feedback (gathered before April 18th Board meeting)
 Building use, if the school is repurposed (Board directed administration to present options).
 Demographics/socio economics (Saxvik has the highest student turnover in BPS (30%) per year.)
 Per pupil cost comparison by school
 Remaining market value of the building, as well as historical/intrinsic value (We have not been directed
by the School Board to get an estimate at this time.)
NOTE: a check mark means Saxvik had notable deficiencies in those areas; a dot indicates information not
yet gathered or pertinent at this time.
6. Why are you considering Saxvik?
The main factors we looked at were equity, capacity vs. enrollment, and costs to renovate. In addition
to meeting the above criteria, Saxvik is one of our oldest schools at 64 years old. (In the U.S. after 60
years, most school buildings are abandoned. Avg. age of a U.S. school is 42 years; same as in BPS.)
7. What is the enrollment and capacity at Saxvik and the 4 receiving schools?
School
Murphy
Myhre
Pioneer
Will-Moore
Building
Enrollment
Enrollment
Available
Needed
Available
Capacity
625
424
290
312
2015-16
468
248
261
254
2019-20
564
308
217
282
Seats
157 seats
176 seats
29 seats
58 seats
Seats
117 seats
11 seats
12 seats
29 seats
In 2019-20
61 seats
116 seats
73 seats
30 seats
*Some are transfer students who would be assigned back to their neighborhood schools but they could
put in for a transfer to one of the schools above.
8. Where will the students move to?
Five classes of Saxvik students could join Murphy, with five Saxvik teachers, for example. Murphy has 6
available classrooms. Saxvik students can also join Myhre, Pioneer, and Will-Moore, which also have
space. To accomplish this, the Board has asked administration to come back with recommendations on
boundary changes in the Saxvik area.
9. Why did you choose those 4 schools?
They are fairly close to Saxvik in proximity and/or they have available classroom space. Murphy has the most
space to keep Saxvik students and staff together as much as possible. Pioneer and Will-Moore are structurally
better buildings than Saxvik. Will-Moore has a geothermal heat pump system and both Pioneer and W-M have
better roof and cooling systems than Saxvik. Both are also brick buildings while Saxvik is EIFS, which is similar
to stucco. Myhre used to be an open concept school but classroom walls were added around 2008.
10. Will our kids get proper help in already crowded schools?
Those 4 schools are not crowded, and the Title 1/district reading program is available at all schools.
11. Will class sizes be larger at the 4 other schools once Saxvik students enroll there?
We would add teachers where we need them for Saxvik students, so we don’t anticipate average class
sizes to be greater than they are now. Across the district, average class size in grades K-5 is 20-21
students. Each year, BPS adds teachers or aides to some schools to maintain adequate class sizes.
12. What are the class sizes at each school per grade level?
School
Grade=Avg. Class Size by Grade Level
Total
*Saxvik
K=19.0
1=19.5
2=20.5
3=20.0
4=13.5
5=16.5
18.2
Murphy
K=19.8
1=17.8
2=22.7
3=21.3
4=23.7
5=25.3
21.3
Myhre
K=20.0
1=16.0
2=17.0
3=21.0
4=22.0
5=19.5
19.1
Pioneer
K=20.5
1=17.5
2=21.5
3=18.3
4=24.0
5=19.5
20.1
Will-Moore
K=19.0
1=15.3
2=17.2
3=18.8
4=19.5
5=20.5
18.1
13. Aren’t smaller class sizes and smaller schools better for students academically?
We have not seen that to be true in Bismarck or across North Dakota based on State Assessment data.
14. Where can I find enrollment information for every BPS school?
Online at https://plc.moodle.bismarckschools.org/mod/wiki/view.php?id=8311. Click the most recent
regular (vs. special) School Board agenda and scroll to Enrolment near the bottom. Click 1 for current
elementary enrollment, 2 for next year’s projected elementary enrollment, and 3 for secondary.
15. Will parents get to choose where their children attend school?
We will keep siblings together in the same school. We will do our best to accommodate all parent
requests regarding attending one of the 4 identified schools, as well as their middle and high school
feeder schools. Saxvik and Murphy feed into Simle Middle School/Legacy High. Myhre and Will-Moore
feed into Wachter Middle School/Bismarck High.
16. My kids walk to Saxvik now. Will busing be available?
We believe all or nearly all students will qualify for busing to their new school at no cost to them. The
criteria is their home must be ½ mile from the school they would attend. We have room on the bus
routes that go to Murphy, Myhre, Pioneer and Will-Moore so there should be little additional cost to
the district. We believe bus rides would be no longer than 30 minutes during the school year. Bus stops
are typically within 4 blocks of less of a student’s home. We could put a bus stop at Saxvik. NOTE:
students who transfer out of their home school boundary do not qualify for busing.
17. Will-Moore is our home school but can there be busing to grandparent’s home in the Saxvik area? If
their home school and day care are in the same attendance area and if it’s more than ½ mile from the
school, we will provide but the pickup (morning) and drop off (afternoon) location must be the same
18. If students have transferred INTO Saxvik, will they have to go back to their neighborhood school?
Those families can use the transfer process to return to their home school or request a different
school. We will also work with them to accommodate as many requests as possible. NOTE: students
who transfer out of their home school boundary do not qualify for busing.
19. Will Myhre traffic and pickup be addressed? We continue to work on this issue at all schools. We are
also working on the MPO for a safe schools project at all schools.
20. What about other services like special education, after school care, summer programs, etc.?
We know we can serve Saxvik students as well as we are now and perhaps better with increased
equity. Those services and others will continue to be provided. We have contacted MREC and BLAST
about after school and summer programs and they’ll work with us to try to create space and programs.
It appears we can hold kindergarten Jump Start at a school other than Saxvik this summer. We will wait
until after the April 25th board meeting to decide the special needs Extended School Year program site.
The summer Camp Ed program will probably be moved to the students’ new schools; busing could be a
possibility. At this point, the Summer Feeding Program will be in the park near Saxvik, but that could be
moved, if needed.
21. What is the cost difference between the Parks & Rec BLAST after school program and the MREC’s?
BLAST: $120/month in 2016-17. If families qualify for childcare assistance, parents can bring in the
Child Care Billing Report and BLAST staff will fill out their section and mail it in for reimbursement.
MREC: $115/month for students who are not on free or reduced lunch. $50/month if on reduced
meals; $20/month if on free meals. If there’s more than 1 child per family, fees are also less.
22. When will you meet with parents and staff to address concerns and answer questions?
We met with staff immediately after the April 6th meeting when the School Board decided to consider
repurposing Saxvik. We met with Saxvik parents on Tuesday, April 12th, 7 pm, at Saxvik.
23. Are there concerns about rising crime in the neighborhood and substantial number of sex offenders
living nearby? Can you put more safeguards in place—like a security guard? BPS does not hire
security guards at the elementary level. Saxvik has a new secured entrance to get into the school.
24. Will staff members lose their jobs?
The school district has an opportunity right now to ensure that all or nearly Saxvik teachers and
support staff will have a job in BPS next year due to retirements, resignations and high class sizes at
other schools. We have 47 full time and part time staff; of those 12 are classroom teachers.
25. Will staff get to choose where they want to go?
We will also do our best to accommodate staff requests; displaced staff get first choice in transfers in
Bismarck Pubic Schools. Transfers will be reopened so all staff have a level playing field in the process.
Principals would meet in early May to decide teacher/staff transfer requests.
26. What will you repurpose Saxvik for?
School administrators are meeting with community partners to discuss future use of the building. For
example, it could be repurposed for open gym, office space, day care, family services center, adult
training facility, a community center to make use of the gym and kitchen, etc. The Superintendent is
expected to give a report to the Board on April 25th regarding potential uses for the building. The
zoning in the Saxvik area is P-public, but it could be rezoned through the City.
27. If you repurpose the building for another school district use, won’t you need to spend money on it?
It would not make sense to put a large capital investment into a building if students move out.
28. If the building is paid off, doesn’t that save money except for utilities and overhead?
Most of our schools are paid off as we only bond them over 20 years.
29. Why can’t you redistrict and put more students into Saxvik? Perhaps bus them in from Apple Creek.
Redrawing neighborhood boundaries would create the same problem in nearby, low enrollment
schools like Pioneer, for example. We don’t believe it’s feasible to bus students from far away, like
Sunrise or Solheim, into Saxvik. As for Apple Creek, those students are not in our school district.
30. Can you leave it open for another 1-to-5 years until more students are out of elementary school?
If we did that, in the final year there would only be 1 grade level of students left and we’d still have to
pay to heat/cool the entire building, provide a principal, custodian, secretary, etc. so that’s not a
financially sound solution or even good for the kids and staff who would remain there that last year.
31. Are you planning to close any other old schools in Bismarck or build any new ones?
We have no additional plans to close or repurpose a school at this time. We have no plans to build a
new elementary school at this time, though projections are we will need more school space in NE or
NW Bismarck by 2019-20 due to increased housing and student enrollment in those areas of the city.
32. How much can you save by not using Saxvik as an elementary schools?
We would save an estimated $1.4 million a year in operating costs ($481,600 +$1,000.785 listed
below). We would also save $2.4 million in future renovations.
1-Time Capital Improvement Costs (dollars to be saved):
$500,000
3 levels but no elevator to be ADA accessible (this # is an accurate cost estimate)
$665,000
Critical need for storage space (in gym/cafeteria now; this # is correct)
$200,000
Parking space for parents & staff (this estimate is 2 years old; may be higher)
$450,000
*Green space & playground (incl. cost to create fire truck turnarounds & streets)
$465,453
Future heating & ventilation needs
$100,000
Carpet replacement over the next 5 years
N/A
Dirt crawl space underneath the school is not fixable; noticeable odor
$2,380,453
Estimated 1 time costs/savings
*Saxvik has a very small playground area used by K-1; other students walk to Parks & Rec playground nearby.
Estimated Annual Fixed Costs (dollars to be saved):
$51,158
Annual maintenance costs
$210,000
Move 3 reading teachers to open positions in the district
$162,000
Move principal to an open position created by a resignation
$49,542
Move head secretary to an open position created by a retirement
$8,900
extra duty contracts (moved here from category below)
$481,600
Estimated annual savings per year (or $4.8 million over 10 years, for example.)
Reductions in 2016-17 Enhancement Requests (new money not spent; dollars to be saved):
$420,000
12 classroom teachers
(5 to Murphy, 1 to Will-Moore; 6 to fill resignations, retirements & large class sizes; some board approved)
$33,560
2nd secretary
$140,000
2 special needs teachers
$60,000
1 head custodian (step 7)
$50,000
1 custodian (step 5)
$35,000
.5 music teacher
$23,000
.3 LMS
$23,000
.3 LOS
$35,000
.6 counselor
$144,045
instructional aides*
(*some offset anticipated; best estimate to date)
$7,180
playground supervisors
$30,000
new K-2 Benchmark Books
N/A
other curricular materials
(to follow kids and/or be repurposed)
N/A
FFE (furniture, fixtures, equipment) (to follow kids and/or be repurposed)
$1,000,785
Estimated savings for 2016-17
(or $10 million over 10 years, for example)
Positions to be Reassigned/Absorbed (no additional cost to district):
1 strategist/instructional coach, .7 social worker, .5 physical teacher, .1 orchestra, school nurse & library aide
hours, and 2 food service employees (food service is not funded by the general fund).
33. What will you do with the savings from Saxvik?
The $2.4 million estimated cost to renovate Saxvik would not be spent if we close the school. The
estimated $1.4 million in annual savings from closing Saxvik could be spent on other needs across the
district, but the Board has not talked about specific uses for those funds at this time because they
haven’t made a decision about Saxvik yet.
34. How will you get students acclimated to their new schools?
If the Board decides to repurpose Saxvik, we would work with parents on which school their child(ren)
would attend, then schedule tours at the receiving schools. When school starts in the fall, we’d ask the
PTO/staff at the receiving schools to have other fun transition activities for students and parents.
35. What other opportunities are there for kids attending the 4 receiving schools?
Murphy: Student Council, Chess Club & all after school program offered by Parks/Rec
Myhre:
Student Council, Maker Space Club, Science Club, Parks/Rec Basketball, Chess Club next year
Pioneer: Student Council; can pursue Chess Club next year if find an advisor
W-Moore: Student Council; Geography Club Lego Robotics for gr. 4-5; Chess Club next year
36. Can you update the playground to the standards of the new schools?
Saxvik students use the Parks and Rec playground across the street; it’s recently been improved.
37. Is the backpack food program available at all Bismarck public elementary schools? Yes.
38. Instead of building new schools like Legacy, Liberty and Lincoln, why not spend money to update
older schools?
In the Sept. 2012 bond issue for those 3 schools, there was also $5 million to update other schools in
the district. Saxvik, for example, was air conditioned and the front entrance was made more secure.
Lincoln and Liberty elementary schools were built in growing areas of the city; Legacy High was built to
accommodate 9th graders joining students in grades 10-12 at the high school level.
39. How much would it cost to build a new elementary school vs. remodeling Saxvik?
A new elementary school is around $15 million; the estimated cost to renovate Saxvik is $2.5 million,
but it is 64 years old, so the district would need to decide if that’s a good use of tax dollars.
40. Is this about shifting kids & teachers around the city to justify more funding and new school? No, it’s
about providing equity for all children in the district and being fiscally responsible to taxpayers.
41. What is the timeline for middle and high school growth? All 3 public middle schools are currently over
capacity. The Board has directed administration to hire an architect to get more firm cost estimates
and some conceptual drawings to add onto each school. The architect will also provide proposals for
some additional space at Century High so it can hold all of the Horizon feeder students, as well as some
equity issues at CHS and auditorium, like auditorium space/improvements.
42. You repurposed Riverside a couple years ago. What are you using it for? Did that cause Solheim to
become overcrowded? How many students are living in the Riverside area today vs. back then?
The Riverside building is now used for South Central, our alternative high school, and the school
district’s Day Treatment Center. Unless they applied for a transfer, most Riverside students chose to
go to Moses (not Solheim) as we provided busing. At the time we stopped using Riverside as an
elementary school, there were 125 students living in that area. Of those, 79 attended or were planning
to attend Riverside; the rest transferred out and did not indicate a desire to return to Riverside. Today
there are 130 students living in the Riverside area, so there has not been enough student growth to
warrant reopening a neighborhood elementary school.
43. When will a decision be made about Saxvik?
School Board members stated they plan to make a decision at their regular meeting Monday, April
25th, starting at 5:15 pm in the basement meeting room at the City-County Building, 221 N. 5th St. This
meeting will be televised live, and rebroadcast, on Govt. Channel 2. The Board also met to hear further
reports from administration regarding this issue on Monday, April 18th meeting at 5:15 pm at Hughes,
806 N. Washington St. That facility does not have live broadcast capabilities, so we videotaped the
meeting and it will be shown on Govt. Channel 2 on Wed. April 20 at 5 pm.