NCSD begins master planning talks with community members

Individuals with an active interest in improving the Newton school district met Sept. 29 at Berg Middle School to discuss the future.

Newton community members learned facility assessments from the school district’s engineering firm, FRK Architects and Engineers, show there are issues with buildings. Specifically, the reports point out inefficiencies in space and the significant costs of keeping old buildings up to date over the next 10 years.

When the district and school board members discovered these challenges in August, they agreed it was best to receive the community’s input and had FRK facilitate master planning meetings. The first of those meetings was held a few weeks ago, and it gave participants an introduction of the obstacles ahead.

The group was comprised of school administrators and staff, members of the parent-teacher association and the School Improvement Advisory Committee and community leaders who participated in the Preserve the Pride bond committee which secured the construction of a new middle school.

By the time the first meeting concluded, they had brainstormed challenges and roadblocks they may encounter in the master planning process and who would be good additions to the exploration team. This team would operate much like the Preserve the Pride committee for Berg Middle School.

However, there is one key difference: The prior committee worked to convince the community that the district needed a new middle school, whereas this new committee is not solely focused on construction. In fact, a plan has not yet been decided, but it is clear there needs to be a big change in the coming years.

From what the group gathered in its brainstorming session, some of the most important drivers in Newton are the faith community, business leaders, the PTA, Newton Development Corporation, teachers, retired council members, farmers, enroll out parents, city officials and students, among others.

Those are the kinds of people the group wants on the exploration team. Of course, there will be challenges. The group identified those struggles, such as a lack of a younger population, as well as what some called a “vocal minority” who are adamantly against change, and say as much on social media.

Other issues run deep, like the city’s history with Maytag. The departure of the longstanding corporation had a profound effect on the town and its economy, but some felt that history, or that trauma, gets in the way of progress. Newton also feels “cliquey,” others said, and some that want to get involved don’t know how.

Keeping that information and the data from the district in mind, the group will inevitably develop and communicate a plan for the future of Newton schools.

Newton Superintendent Tom Messinger said the individuals invited to the first master planning community meeting were selected because they have been involved in leadership roles for the school district in the past. The first major task of the group was to establish a larger group to serve on the exploration team.

“They have, over time, shown tremendous leadership to help support our education in the district and we are looking for them to help us identify and recruit additional people who have a vested interest in our district to help us determine the best way to move forward,” Messinger said.

Eventually, Messinger said the exploration team will make recommendations to the school board on how to best serve the students, families and community.

“Having them work on this is vital because they are our ‘customers’ and experience the district from a different perspective than those of us who are a part of it every day,” he said. “To determine the best path forward, we need as many perspectives as we can gather.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext 560 or at cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com