ASD Presentation to Interested Parties Regarding Disposition of Gallaudet Hall. October 19, 2012

Transcription

1 ASD Presentation to Interested Parties Regarding Disposition of Gallaudet Hall October 19, 2012

2 Quote by student Marcus Greco, ASD Class of 2013, at the new building groundbreaking ceremony on 5/21/2012: our new school will ensure the success of many more future generations of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students who will either go on to college, or work, and will become leaders in our Deaf Community. While we say goodbye to the old Gallaudet Hall, we look forward to building a new future. Our new building will stand in front of the old Gallaudet Hall. This is a symbol that our cherished past is behind us. This new building represents the foundation of the future of deaf education filled with new opportunities and hope.

3 May 21, 2012 Hartford Courant Editorial New Start For Old Building Housing Renowned School For The Deaf The ASD Board and staff tried mightily to preserve the old building. But when the recession caused cancellation of major state aid for a $30 million plus renovation four years ago, the school s directors had to face reality. Students were being moved to trailers for safety. The main building was just too run down, too large, and too expensive to maintain or rebuild..

4 After thoughtful consideration, and with input from all of our constituencies, the board decided in 2010 to build a new state-of-the-art educational facility specifically designed to meet the needs of the students we serve.

5 ASD SCHOOL BUILDING # Bennett City Hotel, Main Street, Hartford (3 rooms rented)

6 ASD SCHOOL BUILDING # The Day House Prospect St, Hartford

7 ASD SCHOOL BUILDING # The Old Hartford School Asylum Av, Hartford

8 ASD SCHOOL BUILDING # Today Gallaudet Hall, North Main St, W. Hartford

9 BACKGROUND Gallaudet Hall - built in 1921 Holds a special place in the hearts of our alumni Typical 1920 s school building

10 BACKGROUND cont. 1960s-1970s students Past 5 year enrollment stable at around students Enrollment next five years trending downward (according to statistics)

11 BACKGROUND cont. Since 1990, tried to get support from the state to renovate Gallaudet Hall. After 22 years, this never happened. In 2008, with the economic downturn, it became clear that the state could not help us renovate Gallaudet Hall. In 2010, the ASD board and administration began discussions on next steps.

12 BACKGROUND cont. Gallaudet Hall is 175,000 square feet. It does not comply with current fire and safety codes. In 2010, West Hartford Fire Marshal closed the building, except for the cafeteria. Students are attending classes in portable classrooms.

13 BACKGROUND cont. We held meetings with everyone we thought would be interested in sharing their opinions. Alumni/Deaf community Parents Staff Students Neighbors Funders We used all of our publications and electronic media to reach as many people as we could.

14 BACKGROUND cont. Estimated cost to renovate Gallaudet Hall Cost of a new building (60,000 square feet) $37 - $55 million $20 million A new building would better meet the needs of our student population both in its design and size.

15 ANALYSIS SUMMARY New Building Gallaudet Hall Right size for current students too big for number of students Energy efficient Classrooms, etc. designed for deaf learners Do a pros cons list? State-of-the-art technology Consolidation of services/programs for student safety Cost: $20 million Very expensive - heat, elect. Old style, typical school building Difficult to wire and support technology Programs/services spread around campus Renovation cost:$37 45 million

16 BACKGROUND cont. After listening to all the feedback and weighing our financial position, on 2/9/2011 the board voted unanimously to build a new 60,000 square foot State-of-the-Art Educational Facility (SAEF), on the condition that Gallaudet Hall would be demolished. The architect s plan included a courtyard/garden to be on the site where Gallaudet Hall currently stands. ASD alumni were represented in this decision by the President of ASDAA, who is a voting member of the ASD board and was involved with the board discussions and vote.

17 BACKGROUND cont. ASD established a design committee and a finance committee to develop plans for a new building. We had representation from our constituent groups, including our alumni and the Deaf community, on both of the committees.

18 BACKGROUND cont. As each of the committees progressed with their work, information was shared in continued meetings with constituents, publications, and postings of meeting minutes on our website. ASD hired a deaf architect to work as a consultant to the project on specific needs of deaf learners.

19 BACKGROUND cont. The ASD Board established a Historic Preservation Committee to look at items to save from Gallaudet Hall, and how to showcase these and other items in the new educational facility.

20 In our role as stewards of the American School for the Deaf, both the board and the administration are confident that we have made the correct decision for our current and future students and for the fiscal health of our school.

21 WHY WE CAN T CONVERT GALLAUDET HALL FOR ANOTHER USE Zoning restrictions Our 501 (c) (3) designation by the IRS is for a school. If we change that, we could lose our taxexempt status. The school would be subject to Unrelated Business Income Tax. We would lose contributions and funders since we would be viewed as a for profit company. The renovation costs will exceed our annual budget and all of the assets the school owns. School s financial responsibility is to education and our students. The Board has a responsibility to govern the school conservatively for the benefit of the future generations of students.

22 COMMUNICATION Meetings about SAEF at Homecoming in 2010 and 2011 (with visual displays in 2011), and with deaf community, neighbors, Town of West Hartford, Historical Properties Commission, CCOSD, parents, staff, students and funders. Vlogs on the new building and SAEF meeting minutes on ASD website. The American Era and ASD Weekly News regularly had articles on the new building and Gallaudet Hall.

23 ASD SCHOOL BUILDING # ?? Bldg Name? North Main St, W. Hartford

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25 CONCLUSION The new building will be more appealing to parents of deaf children. Consolidation of programs will better address health/safety needs of our students. Energy efficiency/financial stability Cutting edge technology

26 CONCLUSION cont. We need to look to the future, not hold tight to the past. The decision to move forward with the SAEF was made with the understanding that Gallaudet Hall would be demolished. Gallaudet Hall is an expense that the school cannot afford, and it puts our mission of working with children in jeopardy.

27 OUR FOCUS Together we have a chance to make a forever difference by helping generations of children. Will you join us?