INFORMATION #1 01-10-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

A-329 3 January 2004 To: Supt. Jensen and School Board Members From: Charlie Blesener, Administrator of Community Education Re: Recap of Handke planning, and recommend Architect contract for Handke Family Center work Efforts to secure permanent, well-planned spaces for early childhood and Community Education programs for District 728 has been on-going for some time, and we're ready to begin addressing this space need in the center of the district at the Handke Center. To provide you and the board with some background information, this memo includes a timeline of significant events, as well as a description of the process we have used to arrive at the selection of Lunning/Wende/BVH Architects to assist us in the work at Handke. Timeline of significant events related to space planning: Sept. 1995: ECFE programs outgrow spaces at the Community Education Center, and are moved to the north wing at Handke. Fall 2000: a committee of multiple agencies and service providers submit an Early Childhood Facilities Grant to the State of Minnesota to construct a new Early Childhood Facility to serve ECFE, ECSE, Head Start, Early Childhood Screening, Adult Basic Education and Community Education. Feb. 15,2001: State notifies ISD 728 of a $500,000 grant award. Jan.-April 2001 : Elk River 2001 committee discusses need for community gathering spaces. CE and Elk River Area Arts Council discuss their common need for permanent programmmg space. April 2001: several local arts organizations unanimously merge to become Elk River Area Arts Alliance (ERAAA), and also unanimously support an affiliation with Community Education in the proposed new facility. The ERAAA desires to establish several classrooms for art instruction as well as a large atrium space for arts and other community events through private fund-raising. May, 2001: Elk River School Board includes ERAAA as a partner in a future joint facility. July, 2001: CE Director asks Elk River City Council to provide land for future joint early childhood/arts facility. July, 2001: School Board considers levy for lease as funding option for construction of proposed new facility. Board decides to wait and include it on a future bond issue. Sept. 11, 2001: World Trade Center is destroyed by terrorists. Winter, 2002: School Board acts to close Handke Magnet (elementary) school at the end of the 01-02 school year. May, 14,2002: School Board adopts resolution designating Handke as the facility for early childhood, community education and ERAAA. Spring, 2002: Decision to move CE offices (including Adult Basic Education and Early Childhood Screening) to Handke, and to continue to house ECSE and ECFE at Handke. June, 2002: State notifies District 728 that due to budget shortfall, the grant is reduced to $449,702.