Leadership discuss SES relocation during town hall Published March 13, 2015 By Staff Report 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- More than 100 parents, teachers and administrators gathered at the base theater March 10, 2015, to discuss the temporary relocation of the Spangdahlem Elementary School starting the 2015-2016 school year. The relocation, which was announced a week before by Col. Joe McFall, 52nd Fighter Wing commander, and Dr. Dell McMullen, Department of Defense Dependent Schools - Kaiserslautern District Schools superintendent, is a result of the renovation and expansion of the current SES facility. It is expected that more than 500 SES students, faculty and staff members will combine with the Bitburg Elementary School starting next school year. Several factors played a part in the decision, primarily the safety and security of the children. Additionally, DoDDS and the wing are striving to provide students with the highest quality learning environment while providing the least possible disruption to students due to construction in the facility. During the two-hour meeting, McMullen and Col. Lars Hubert, 52nd FW vice commander, answered questions and addressed concerns from audience members to further explain the final decision. To submit additional questions or concerns, send an email to 52fw.paoffice@us.af.mil, like us on Facebook at Spangdahlem Air Base or follow us on Twitter at Spangdahlem_AB. Below is a compilation of some of the questions asked and answered at the recent town hall. 1. Do we have an estimation on the number of buses that will be used? A1: Registration in the spring helps determine the routes, stops and number of buses. Additionally, as people PCS in and register, the numbers fluctuate. Around Aug. 1, 2015, the student transportation office will look at the numbers and determine where the most efficient stops and routes will be for students and that information is distributed shortly before school starts. 2. Are there going to be additional escorts on the buses to prevent incidents such as bullying? A2: It is the bus driver's responsibility to make sure the kids behave, and if they don't, to write a report and turn it in to the principal and the transportation office. Students are also encouraged to self-report situations of concern to their teacher or principal. Since the bus is an extension of the classroom, bullying will not be tolerated just as it isn't tolerated in the classroom or on the playground. There have been no reports of bullying between high school students and elementary students. 3. I have concerns about our children traveling on dangerous roads? What considerations are being made? A3: The exact route is still being researched, It's going to depend on where the student is being bussed from. If they are coming from base it is likely the B50 will be used, but depending on the route, other roads or only parts of the B50 may be used. There have been very few accidents involving a school bus in recent years. Additionally, while other bus routes may utilize the B50, the additional new bus riders is less than 150 -- those SES students who live on base and will now ride the bus. 4. If I have a child who attends Bitburg High School, will my elementary-school student now ride the same bus? Or, will there be separate pick-up times for them? A4: Currently, students who attend school at Bitburg ride a K-12 bus. We anticipate this to continue for the upcoming school year. 5. Will there be an extra cost for the after school program? A5: No. 6. How is attendance impacted if the weather is bad and we don't feel comfortable sending our child on the bus? Or, we have a medical appointment and don't take them back to school? A6: The safety of our students is a responsibility we take very seriously and consider several factors when cancelling or delaying school. If parents keep their children home during inclement weather, we have excused those students. We would encourage you to plan accordingly to minimize absences from school with scheduled doctor appointments. Scheduling at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day where possible will minimize the amount of time out of school. 7. Are we still going to have community classes where more than one grade is grouped together? A7: Yes. They will continue to use neighborhood classes for some grades. If you are interested in this for your child, please indicate such on the re-enrollment form. 8. What is the time/date of the end and start of the school year? A8: The last day of school will be Friday, June 5, and it will be a full day of school. Teachers will use the next week to move classrooms from Spangdahlem to Bitburg Elementary. The start date of next school year remains unchanged at this time. 9. In case of an emergency, which hospital will my child be taken to? A9: This is determined by first responders on the scene, who will determine what treatment the child needs and the decision for what hospital to send the child to. 10. What is the size of the classes, student/teacher ratio? A10: The staffing standards ratios will remain the same. Actual class sizes always vary from year to year. 11. With recent terrorist activities, I'm concerned about our children being targets. What is being done to ensure they are protected at Bitburg? A11: Specifics cannot be announced; however, the base is secure. We will maintain a security forces and fire department presence on Bitburg. Controlling entry access and patrolling the base will continue. 12. Will there be mass busing locations? If so, at one time the housing office parking lot was a possible location being considered, have you thought about locations in the housing loop to reduce congestion in one small location? A12: Because bus routes are dependent upon enrollment and specifics can't be determined until August, the exact stops are not known at this time. However, we are considering all options. There are three stops being considered for the base housing area. 13. Will there be joint fifth and sixth grade classes? A13: This is a possibility; however, joint classes will be dependent on enrollment and we won't know these details until August. To assist with planning, we encourage all parents to pre-register their students for school. 14. Will my child be able to continue to participate in band at Bitburg Elementary? A14: That is undetermined at this time. 15. Our children participate in American Youth Activity programs, such as reading and homework clubs. Will there be an after school activity bus to bring them to these activities at Spangdahlem? A15: At this time there is no funding allotted to bring elementary students back to Spangdahlem for these programs, but we are evaluating options and will provide an update as we have assessed the possibilities. 16. Is there a school age program at Bitburg? A16: No. 17. What will you do about kids being dropped off at the wrong stop? A17: Military policy requires that children 5 years old be met and accompanied home by an adult. We strive to adhere to this standard to ensure children get off at the correct stop. We also encourage parents, who know the capability of their children, to discuss and plan with their children accordingly. 18. Would it be possible to start the elementary school later so our kids don't have to get up so early to catch a bus? A18: Changing the start time is under consideration; however, because of combined busing, the start time at the elementary school has to be coordinated with the high school. As final decisions are made on start times, we will let parents and students know. 19. How many physical classrooms are available at Bitburg? A19: Current enrollment in the grades affected will not exceed the capacity at Bitburg. However, we do not know what the school population will be until spring registration. We may have to use some of the additional classrooms in the BMS building depending on the enrollment for next year. BES and BMHS are currently using parts of the school -- the gym, locker rooms, etc. The existing BES cafeteria was designed to serve both BES and BMS and will be capable of handing the additional students. While parts of the building may have to be used, it will not be Bitburg Middle School. 20. What changes can we expect for the Pre-School Child Development (PSCD) Special Needs Pre-K program? A20: No changes at all. 21. Will there be a follow-up town hall regarding transportation to answer additional questions? A21: We will hold additional town halls as needed to keep everyone informed. At this time, we don't have a set date for these events. Information will continue to be posted at the following information sources as it becomes available: School Liaison Officer Facebook page - www.facebook.com/SpangdahlemSLO 52 FW Facebook page - www.facebook.com/SpangdahlemAirBase 22. How long is the maximum limit our children will be on a bus? A22: Our goal is to not exceed an hour for bus travel for our students. The average will be from 35 to 40 minutes. 23. Will the buses take the autobahn or other roads? A23: Registration in the spring helps determine the routes and stops. Additionally, as people PCS in and register the numbers fluctuate. Around Aug. 1, the student transportation office starts to look at the numbers and determine where the most efficient stops and routes will be for students and that information is distributed shortly before school starts. 24. Do you anticipate the morning meeting concept again next year? A24: We are currently planning for the morning meeting concept so that students can gather at one or two locations and then be escorted as a group to their classroom. This will prevent elementary students from having to find their class on their own. 25. Will these changes be discussed at Newcomer's Briefs and shared by the school in the future? A25: Yes, we will continue to discuss these changes at Newcomer's Brief for families who are PCSing in, as well as share information through our schools and facebook pages to keep all families updated on the latest details related to this move. Information about the move is also available on the base main page- school page. 26. Do you have plans to expand the library at Bitburg to accommodate the additional students? A26: Yes, we are currently assessing what we will take from Spangdahlem Elementary, but are confident the combination of libraries will provide ample resources for all of the children. 27. Will there be Kindergarten neighborhoods at Bitburg? A27: Kindergarten neighborhoods are a possibility. Much of the configuration of the classrooms will be dependent upon enrollment, so we don't know the exact structure at this time. As part of pre-registration for next school year, parents can indicate what type of learning environment they feel will best suit their child, and this is taken into consideration when structuring classes. 28. Are teachers from Spangdahlem also moving to Bitburg? A28: There will be fewer teachers excessed than if this were a closure. Many of the teachers will also be going to Bitburg with the students. 29. When will the groundbreaking be for the high school? A29: A date has not been set for the groundbreaking of the high school. The designs for the high school are 30 percent complete at this time. We do hope and anticipate that there will be some simultaneous construction at the elementary school and high school. The target for the high school completion is for school year 2019/2020. 30. For the community class option, what is the class size? A30: We are staffed for 1 to 18, meaning one teacher for every 18 students. However, until we know the final enrollment numbers we will not know what adjustments might need to be made. 31. What will the bus seating situation be like - will younger kids be kept separate from older ones? A31: Children do sit by school type, i.e., elementary sits in front, middle school sits in the middle and high school sit in the back. It is the bus driver's responsibility to make sure the kids behave, and if they don't, to write a report and turn it in to the principal and the transportation office. Since the bus is an extension of the classroom, bullying will not be tolerated just as it isn't tolerated in the classroom or on the playground. There have been no reports of bullying between high school students and elementary students.