Council will press school consultant for answers to "ugly questions"

Published in The Islander News. February 26, 2009. kjosephsen@islanderews.com

Tonight's the night for elected officials to get answers to their questions about a feasibility study on a municipal charter high school/lifelong learning center for Key Biscayne.
The long-awaited workshop, in which consultant Prakash Nair from Fielding Nair International will review the study with the Village Council and public, is at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers.

Several local leaders say the study raises as many questions as it answers, while parents who are pushing for the school feel the report offers all the information needed for decisions to be made.

Council member Michael Kelly was the study's most pointed critic.

"I am not impressed by the consultant's report and I am dismayed by its lack of detail and illogical conclusions," he said. "I think it is a bad plan for our community because of open space, educational, practical and financial considerations. I think that the pursuit of a school as envisioned by the plan is not in the best interest of the Village of Key Biscayne or in the best interest of potential students."

Local leaders say they're most worried about budget and location. Council member Enrique Garcia said what he calls the "three ugly questions" - site, cost and who will attend - linger: "I don't find those questions have been answered in a proper way" in FNI's report.

The Council also wants more detail on curriculum and traffic, and Kelly added a "big picture" question: how does a school fit with the revenue and spending realities the Village faces? Based on the study, he feels it doesn't: "In this economic climate, the last thing we should be doing is taking on another financial obligation — we should be narrowing our focus, not expanding it."

However, school advocates counter that the study covers all those concerns — and Nair can address any lingering details at tonight's workshop.

As school activist Charles Viscito noted, "The issues that the Council has been asking for with regard to who's going to attend, cost and funding, and location are answered. The study has ample information to make a decision.

"If it doesn't, I think the presentation will hopefully squash all those questions."

Viscito added the report shows school operations will be self-funded and the facility will boost property values, generating enough tax revenue to cover construction. He added he's confident tonight's presentation will make that — and other issues — clear enough that the community and Council can work together to make a decision in short order.

While Viscito isn't sure what shape that process should take, Garcia, for one, is convinced that a referendum is in order: "This is something that affects intensity and density on the Key," he said. "At the end of the day, it should be in the voters' hands."

Budget concerns
Whether the school's future is determined by a vote of the Council or the public, local leaders hope the workshop will help provide the basis for that decision. Most importantly, they say. They want Nair to address financial considerations tonight.

In Council member Jorge Mendia's eyes, "Clearly the most important questions will revolve around the operating budget proposed by FNI. Mr. Nair needs to very specifically outline what is included as well as what is excluded from that budget."

Mendia noted Nair's report mentions offering normal high school activities like sports, clubs and Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate classes but doesn't budget for them, instead stating they will require "additional funding sources," namely private contributions from parents.

"What happens if those contributions don't materialize? We need much more specific information as to how much more funding these and other programs will require," Mendia said.

Kelly agreed: "I don't believe the fundraising goals are attainable. This has been the experience at Key Biscayne Community School. If fundraising goals are not met, costs increase, and the Village is on the hook for all these problems, forever."

Viscito, however, argued the study makes financial issues crystal clear.

"I think the feasibility report shows funding will predominantly come from the State of Florida, and that if we want quality programs there's an expectation of private contributions from stakeholders who are attending the school," he said. "In terms of cost, if you read that document clearly, you'll understand it's self-funded."

He added Kelly's concerns can easily be addressed by inserting language into the school charter that makes self-funding an absolute requirement.

Facility questions
Viscito also feels the document gives a concise picture of two feasible sites for a school — a new structure at 530 Crandon Boulevard, or a rehabbed police/administration building. He prefers the rehab option, noting the study states there is plenty of excess space, so Village offices could easily be relocated to the first floor, freeing the second floor for a school.

But in Kelly's eyes, FNI's facility suggestions are neither desirable nor practical. He feels the 530 Crandon option flies in the face of the need for green space — "I am not in favor of adding yet another building and more concrete to the Key" — and rehabbing the police/admin building is "unwieldy, costly and would interfere with Village workers doing their jobs."

Mendia agreed facilities are another major area of inquiry, but he most specifically wants to hear how FNI arrived at its construction costs — $4.3 million to redo the administration building or $7.5-$8.5 million for the 530 Crandon option.

"What is included in their cost estimates as well as what is not included needs to be very specifically explained," he noted.

Other concerns

While facilities and budget arc the major issues, the Council's questions don't end :here. For one, Kelly wants to delve into curriculum.

He noted parts of the report — like a suggestion for five teachers to oversee 125 students' project-based learning efforts and lo mention of art, drama, speech and language classes — trouble him.

He also hopes to hear more about whether the school would do a good job of preparing kids for college -- he noted the high-profile ranking of the top 100 U.S. high schools in U.S. News and World Report does not include any schools that use a project-based learning approach.

Elsewhere, Kelly said he also worries about how much impact students, teachers, deliveries, etc. will have on local roads. While school proponents say most teens would walk or bike to a local high school, Kelly indicated he plans to ask for more detail on traffic issues.

On a related note, Garcia wants a clearer picture of who will attend the school. Viscito feels that information is there.

"The study provides detailed information on the number of students in the community," he said, noting even if the numbers vary by 5-10 percent when the 2010 Census is done, there is still ample demand for the proposed 400-seat school. Plus, he noted, the K-8 Center has roughly 100 students in grades seven and eight, and, "If we were to provide the same type of education that we do at the K-8 Center, it would seem logical that you would have about those same numbers."

Big picture
On a final note, Council members say they still need to discuss how the school fits with the "big picture" of Village spending and revenue.

Kelly said projections call for falling revenue and property values. At the same time, he noted, the Village needs to borrow $5 million for the water/sewer project and $2.5 million to buy the land it uses for an employee parking lot. Add to that a potential $2.5 beach renourishment, he said, and the Council is eyeing millions of dollars a year in loan repayments.

Unfortunately, Kelly added, those repayments would eat up all available capital funds — and that's if projections stay where they are. If revenue numbers fall more, which he fears is likely, "Then we will not be able to meet those obligations without raising taxes."

Throwing a high school into that mix isn't prudent, Kelly argued. "Borrowing even more money to fund construction for a school building is irresponsible in this climate," he remarked. "Village taxpayers cannot afford a tax increase."

Viscito, however, said any tax increase would be minor, as operating costs can be covered by tax dollars residents already pay to the Miami-Dade School District. "Worst case scenario, what we're talking about for the average homeowner is less than $75" for construction, he said.

Even better, Viscito maintained, building a school should reverse concerns about a drooping tax base by significantly raising property values. He said Nair's report makes that clear: "The (debt) payments would come from the appreciation of the home values over time; the economic boost that would occur in our Village.

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