Community Invited to Participate in Long Range Planning
It’s no secret that the Ozark School District continues to grow. The Board of Education learned about the impact of that growth at the Oct. 19 meeting when Bob Templeton, vice president of the school district segment for Zonda Education, reviewed the most recent Demographic Report, calling Ozark a “destination district for younger families.”
“You are younger than the remaining portion of Christian County — that was a highlight for me,” Templeton said. “Ten to 14 (age group), that’s actually the largest cohort group in the District and the county. So you are a relatively young community with school-aged kids.”
Templeton said the last three years have been challenging due to the pandemic. And while the District enrollment is “relatively flat” this school year, the housing research shows that single and multi-family housing is on the rise in the city, which means enrollment numbers will continue to be on the rise, as well. Over the last five years, Ozark School District added 224 students.
“If (Ozark) continues to build about 100-150 homes per year, the District’s enrollment could grow 1-1.5 percent over the next five years, which would put your enrollment in 2028 at about 6,317,” he said, adding that the current enrollment is 5,954.
Templeton said that growth over five years will put Ozark’s middle school and junior high campuses near capacity.
Assistant Superintendent of Operations Dr. Curtis Chesick said learning valuable information like this is exactly why the District updates its demographic study every two years.
“We are grateful for a tool like our demographic study that allows us to take a scientifically-based look into the future,” he said. “We can make better decisions by knowing when and where the growth is coming.”
In order to develop plans to accommodate the growth, the District is inviting the community to participate in three Long Range Planning Committee meetings. The Demographic Report, along with current construction projects, will be reviewed at the first meeting Nov. 14.
“We not only want to be transparent with our community on where we are as a District, but we want to invite them to be involved in the decision-making process,” said Interim Superintendent Dr. Lori Wilson. “Participating in the Long Range Planning Committee meetings is a way of giving back to your school district while helping us best plan for the future.”
The Long Range Planning Committee meetings will be 6:30 - 8 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Ozark Innovation Center; Dec. 12 at Ozark West Elementary; and Jan. 16 at Ozark Middle School. Dinner will be provided for participants and childcare will be provided for school-age children. Click here to register to serve on the District’s Long Range Planning Committee.